House of Thorns
by Nate Cu-Connallain
Summary: She had dreams. Of Life. Of Death. And of the coming apocalypse. Ruby is the last of her blood, the true heir to the throne, and if she is to have any hope of surviving the darkness, if the people who have betrayed her, despised her, and hunted her have any hope of living, she must wrest the title from its mantle, make it her own. And lead her people. Ruby must be their salvation.
1. Prologue

**Okay, so a new story, and a big one this time. I'm excited to get into this one but I have a... few things I want to address first. These are important disclaimers so you should read them.**

 **1\. First of all, apart from the very first part of this, the entire story will be told from a present tense, first person point of view. At least that is the aim. This is my first time trying something like this (especially with the present tense part.) so I welcome your thoughts on how it goes my first time around.**

 **2\. This is the warning for viewers that might get upset about it, as they have in one of my other stories, but there may or may not be blood, gore and disturbing imagery depending on the situation. This is a low-fantasy, medieval AU story, so while I won't be pushing for any grim dark, do know that I've warned you for the potential for thigs to get upsetting.**

 **3... Honestly this is the one I think people will be annoyed with the most. Now, I usually make it a rule that unless it's already totally obvious or the central focus of the story for the main part, I don't advertise pairings. For this one, I will though, just because people may not like it, or at least that's the response I think I'll get from looking into it.**

 **It's Pollination.**

 **I'll likely have lost people just from that already, but that's fine. This warning is here to warn you so that if you truly despise the ship, or think it's wrong in some way, fair play. I entirely understand if you decide to not read this story and strike my name from your memory, just let it be known I gave you that out instead of dropping it on you like it has been to me. (When you can prepare for it, it's not as bad in my opinion. it's when you're not that things take this weird turn becasue it makes no sense.) Honestly, most pollinations stories are written purely for sex and... eh, to each their own, but I like not to be surprised with those sorts of things. Usually there aren't very many good pollination stories. the only one I can think of off the top of my head is 'Linked in Life and Love' it's a good one with an actual plot that first started like, before Volume 3 even aired I think?**

 **Anyway, this is just a heads up for that. It'll be slow burn like all my stories are, but if it's not for you, you can drop out of this ride at any time. For those who still want to read on, I hope you enjoy.**

 **God help us all.**

* * *

...

There was a storm this night.

A storm, unlike that of any in living memory, unlike that of any other every recorded.

The sky was black.

The moon was hidden.

The stars had vanished

And the heavens wept.

And through it all, a woman in a white cloak ran for her life.

She was bleeding badly from a wound to her chest, one that leaked ruby red liquid and stained the ground.

And stain it did, even by the rains behest, as the gods themselves did their best to hide away any evidence of her retreat her blood marked her path.

A path for her pursuers to follow.

The woman in white stumbled as the ground crumbled beneath her foot. The path before her twisted and turned, as she climbed the treacherous, rocky mountain path before her.

She grunted, straining against her weary body.

A feeble cry could be heard from her arms.

"It's okay." She whispered soothingly. "Don't cry Ruby. You'll be alright I promise."

The infant, one not even old enough to have experienced its first winter gave a murmur of a cry, before quieting down once again.

Suddenly, hoofbeats could be heard in the distance, getting closer.

The woman held the child tight against her chest.

And ran.

Again her body protested as she pushed herself;f forward. She tripped, she stumbled and she fell,. But no matter what she kept her child close, she held her up, protected her from the cuts and the bruises she was experiencing herself.

And she pushed on.

She climbed higher.

She climbed higher.

She could hear them closer now, the sound of the horses, their grunts, their breaths bearing down on her neck.

She climbed high, faster.

She heard the sound of men, shouting, someone had spotted her blood through the rain.

She grit her teeth, crying out as she climbed as high as she could, as fast as she could.

The trail had widened out, flattened out into a road, but it was a cruel twist. Both sides of the path rose up into walls.

Into a valley. There was nowhere to hide for such a long stretch. There was no way she would be able to reach the other side before they caught up to her.

She looked down as Ruby gurgled in her arms.

She grit her teeth.

The shouting had amplified in volume. They could see her now.

She kept moving forward.

She pushed, and pushed, and pushed her body past its limits, past its breaking point and ran.

Her legs ached, her lungs burned and her vision blurred.

And then she screamed as cold steel sliced into her back.

She fell, but before she could hit the ground, she twisted so that she landed on her back, on the new wound instead of on her child, how she held closer now than ever before.

She could see the sword which had struck her, painted with her blood. It was attached to an armoured rider, his face masked behind his helm. He looked down at her from his horseback, and she knew he was grinning.

' _The blood that coats his blade is to rich for the likes of him'_ she thought bitterly.

Not that it mattered, she realised. Her blood, no matter how extraordinary, would bleed all the same.

More hoofbeats approached, and suddenly the woman found herself bypassed and encircled by a group of armoured knights.

Summer Rose, Queen of Sanus, was surrounded by traitors.

She let out a strangled gasp, as she forced herself to stand, legs wobbling from the strain.

The one that had struck her laughed. "Look at that, the little bitch is scared of us."

A few of the others laughed with him.

One did not. "Silence." He ordered.

His voice cut through the rain, and the wind, and the storm.

And silence them it did.

The man in command, urged his horse forward, before after a moment of deliberation, he dismounted, striding towards her.

She felt his gaze through his helm, meeting it with a glare of her own. He reached up and took it off suddenly, revealing a middle-aged man, with a beard just on the precipice of greying. He did not flinch as the rain-drenched him.

"Your majesty." He said, voice solemn.

"Ser Tristian." She replied, doing her best just to stay on her feet.

"I am saddened that it has come to this," he told her. "I am saddened that it must be me."

"Don't," she growled. "Do not presume the right to act remorseful for your treachery, for what you have conspired to do."

"All the same, I am." He said. "I am a knight, my duty is to you… but I am also human, and my desires outweigh that duty. For choosing myself over you, I am sorry, and I am sorry that I was able to catch you… I had hoped to lose your trail."

"And yet you did not, and here we are."

"Yes… here we are." Thunder boomed overhead and the child wailed. Summer held her closer.

"My daughter, would you at least do me of the mercy of sparing my daughter."

At this plea, a truth crestfallen look passed over the man's face. "I cannot… the orders were that none of the Rose bloodline are to survive this night."

Summer felt a weight crash down on her shoulders, and she suddenly felt so very, very tired.

"And so that is what you will achieve Ser Tristian. I'm sure you will be greatly rewarded, though I'm sure you understand if I give you no congratulations."

"…I do."

"Well then." She swallowed. "Best get it over with."

He nodded soberly, one hand reached to his waist and freeing his sword with a hiss.

He raised it high, intent on delivering a quick killing blow to both mother and child, perhaps the only mercy he could give them.

Summer didn't look away. She stared resolutely into his eyes. Ready to greet the gods.

And then there was a cry as an arrow whizzed past.

And embedded itself into the knight's skull.

The other knights cried out in shock, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the _thunderous_ battle cry from people who appeared seemingly from nowhere. They lept down off the valley's sides, crashing into the heavily armoured men and dragging them to the ground.

More and more and more with crude weapons and armour that were far outmatched. It did not matter, for they had the element of surprise, the numbers of at least ten to one, and-

"Magic!" one of the traitorous knight that had pierced her cried. "They have-" he was silenced as a spear of stone pierced his throat and pinned him to the wall.

And just like that, it was over.

The newcomers let out a victorious cry, raising their weapons into the airt as they did so.

"Your Majesty!" came a voice, as Summer lost her footing. Large, powerful arms caught her before she could fall, as her hold on Ruby relaxed just a little as she met familiar blue eyes. "Tai." She breathed in relief.

"Your Majesty." He gasped. "You're hurt, what happened!?"

"A Coup d'état," she breathed, for her lungs had suddenly reminded her of their damage. "Beacon is in Chaos, no doubt-" a cough, wet and bloody. Others cried out in shock around her. "No doubt the Vale will follow soon."

There was shock, disbelief in the man's eyes. "But that- that doesn't- how could they betray you?!"

"I do not know." She murmured, eyes growing heavy. "And… I… do not think it matters… not any more."

"Your majesty I-"

"Tai." She whispered. "You are… one of my closest friends… I can't- I can't offer you anything but, my daughter, please, Ruby. I beg you to-"

"There's no need to talk like that your majesty." He assured her. "We can get you back to the healers and-"

" _Please Tai."_ She pleaded, her voice filled with desperation. " _Promise me._ "

"I… I promise. I'll protect her, as if she were my own."

At that, a small smile spread across the Queen's face. "Good." She murmured. "That's good."

Her eyes, drifted shut.

"Your Majesty? Your majesty! All of you, come, we need to get her to a healer!"

In the end, it was too late to save the Queen. She had been fatally wounded for some time, even disregarding the amount of blood she had lost.

Those of the tribe that found her saw it as a miracle that she even managed to survive as long as she had, but it was a bitter one.

The Queen of Vale died that night, in the rain, in the cold.

And Taiyang, her old friend, was left with the last vestige of her legacy.

A little girl, with bright, silver eyes.

A girl named Ruby Rose.

…

…

I open my eyes blearily as the dream fades away and leaves me to face reality.

And by reality, I mean the shadow of a person standing over me.

" _No!"_ I groan. "Five more minutes."

The person above chuckles lightly. "No can do pipsqueak, we're going today."

Another groan escapes me, but I know not to protest. She might take it as a chance to mess with me in some way. I drop my hands under me and push up. My hair falls into my eyes and as I sit up I run a hand over my face.

"Can you leave for a minute Yang?" I ask, not unkindly I don't think, but certainly with a little bit of irritation, if only because of my tiredness.

My sister takes it in stride, laughing again and sends me a mock salute. "Of course your majesty, I'll be outside."

With that she turned and left, stepping through the flaps of the tent and leaving me alone.

I let out a sigh. I'm tired, but I know I won't be able to get back to sleep, I never can after waking up from a dream. At least it was already morning. It wouldn't have been fun to wait out the night.

Losing a few hours sleep isn't great, and it would have been even worse today of all days.

It doesn't matter, I'm awake now and if I take too long Yang might come back to drag me out, so I get up and throw on my clothes. I sigh. Not much in terms of variety, I ruined the rest of my clothes last week during the hike here, so all I'm left with are some grey pants and tunic. I at least have a cloak, the only thing that sticks out.

Red is my colour anyway, it matches my hair.

I move over to the tub of water in the corner of the tent and splash my face with it. It's cold, and wakes me up a little more while also giving me a chance to look at my reflection.

I'm not a complete mess at least, so I shrug and leave my tent.

As she said, Yang was waiting outside for me with her arms crossed across her chest and scanning over the area.

The rest of the clearing was filled with tents just like my own people coming out of them with crates or bags or whatever else they could use to carry their belongings. When my sister notices me, she grins. I catch up as she begins to walk away, falling into step beside her.

"We need to feed the mules this morning," she tells me as we walk. "Dad says it'll be a longer journey than usual this time so they need to have the energy for it."

I nod.

"So where are we going?" I ask. For the sake of curiously. We'd been s the tribe had been staying in the mountain range for the last week, but it had only been a temporary stop. We travelled a lot being a nomadic tribe, but even the mountains weren't the ideal spot.

Yang hummed. "The blue grotto I think, you know that one we visited out three years back?"

"Oh yeah, it's the one with the big lake right?" I smiled. I'd liked that place last time we'd stayed. It had been cut off from the main roads sure but it had been a quiet place where I'd gotten many a good night sleep.

At the though, I yawned.

Yang caught it and nudged my shoulder gently. "You were dreaming again then?"

I grunt, have in confirmation and have in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Come on Rubes," she snickers. "It's not hard when every time you so you wake up with massive bedhead." For emphasis she puts a hand on my head and frizzes up my hair. A whine escapes me and she laughs.

Well… she's not wrong.

"Nice to know you think my suffering funny."

"Ah come one Ruby." She says, still laughing. "Don't get mad."

I stick out my tongue in response. It's childish, but it gets the best response out of Yang in the form of a mock gasp. She stops laughing at least, and a moment later swings her arm over my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Was it the same dream again?"

"It's _always_ the same dream Yang." I mumbled.

The blonde shrugs. "Well who knows, last night could have been different for all I knew. You let me know when you get a new one, yeah?

"That never happens."

"Aw come on don't sound so glum. It can't be that bad."

"Yeah well when you constantly dream of your mother dying let me know."

Yang's mouth clicks shut and I wince. I shouldn't have said that. It had been a stupid thing to say.

"I'm sorry/I'm sorry?"

We both say at the same time.

We both wince this time. Really, I shouldn't have said it. Yang was just trying to help. At least I knew what my mother looked like if only through dreams. Yang had never even met hers, or if she had, she couldn't remember her face. Dad told her about Raven plenty of times, but descriptions were never good enough for her. Not that Ruby expected them to be

We walk past the rest of the tents in silence, a little awkwardly at first but by the time we get into the open and down the rocky path leading to where the mules were tied up it was thankfully gone.

It was something always relieving with Yang. She didn't let stupid things like my mouth get her down. She knew I wasn't the best with social interactions even with her, so she brushed it off whenever I said something terrible.

Doesn't make me feel any less guilty, but it makes it easier when she starts talking again. Yang's good with animals, I already know this, but watching her whisper soothing words into the animal's ears as she strokes its head getting it to settle is always like an art form in its own way.

While she does that, I get to work hitching the wagons up to them. I do the same with the next one over, and the next one, and the next one.

Mules weren't mounts, but they were great for moving the tribe's belongings when we have too much to carry for ourselves.

I connect the last one up and shoot Yang a thumbs up. She returns it, and moves to pick up a bucket of feed.

Again, she whispers words to the mules, somehow convincing them, to eat one at a time instead of pushing against each other.

I wasn't any good at that. Last time I tried one of them had bit my hair.

Yang had found that incredibly funny and joked that he must have thought my red hair was some kind of food.

I pout at the memory. Sure my hair is bright but that doesn't mean the thing should mistake it for something he can eat!

"You girls almost done?" a voice asks and we turn.

Yang grins as she finishes up with the last of the food. "Hey dad. Yeah we're almost done just gimme a minute."

He does, and when she finishes she tosses the bucket away, smacking her hands together. "There we go, all done!"

Dad rolls his eyes at her. "Great job Yang amazing work." he promptly ignores the response Yang sends his way to look at me.

"So are you ready to get moving?"

I nod. "All ready. I had all my stuff ready the night before and packed away."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Little Rubes being a little miss overachiever again."

I send her a blithering look. "You're only saying that because I did yours as well because you were too lazy."

Yang flushed at the accusation, mainly because it was in front of Taiyang. "I—what?! No way, that's not true."

Dad chuckles. "Really now, Yang being lazy? Never would have thought it."

"I know right!" Yang agrees proudly." Ruby's just being crazy. I'm too fantastic to be lazy."

Dad fixes her with a deadpan stare. "That was sarcastic Yang."

"I don't withdraw my statement."

He shakes his head and sends me a look that says 'what can you do?'

I totally agree. It's Yang after all.

"Anyway." He said after a moment. "We'll be moving out soon. You should close up your tent and-" He freezes suddenly, looking past us, off into the distance. I blink and turn to follow his gaze. Yang does the same, and I can see a plume of smoke down the mountain path. It's still far enough off that I can't get a good look, but I can see people, about three or four, at the bottom at the mountain. We're near the top, so all I can see really is how shiny they are.

Armour.

There aren't many people who can afford armour.

"Are those… knights?" I ask.

Dad frowns. "Yang, get your sister back to your tent, get a weapon, stay there and don't come out until I come and get you."

Yang glances down at the cloud of smoke, or is it dust? It's getting bigger faster than expected, meaning they're on horseback. "Are they here for Ruby?"

"Yang!"

"R-right." My sister stutters, moving to grasp my shoulder. "Come on Rubes, let's go." I don't protest, quickening my pace as she leads me to her tent. Other tribesmen hear the news quickly, and a few of them are running for weapons. It might not be an attack, but nomadic tribes aren't exactly liked by people within civilization.

And if they're here for me…

The flaps flutter closes behind us as Yang makes her way over to a wooden trunk with a symbol of a heart on the lid. It opens with a click and reveals a pair of red leather vambraces. They fit over her forearms, and over her hands like fingerless gloves. I know from watching her use them that they also happen to be knuckle dusters. She checks them once, twice, before reaching over hand handing me a knife.

I stare down at it as it falls into my hands. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

She sends me a look. "Uh, use it to defend yourself?"

"You know I can't fight!" I hiss. "If I use this I'm more likely to stab _myself._ Besides they have armour, this isn't going to do much."

My sister makes to say something, but stops when she can hear horses let out a splutter. They're close by. She puts a finger to her lips and moves past me, peaking out of the tent. I feel myself sweating and after a second move to join her.

From here, I can see them and instinctually I hold my breath.

I count them, five in total, a small band, donned head-to-toe in steel plate and swords on their hips. The one at the front dismounts, and my father walks up to him warily. The other tribesmen and women have them surrounded, but they didn't seem worried.

I don't know if that's a good sign or not, but I'll take it as a blessing that they're not attacking yet.

Dad and the knight share words with each other, ones I can't hear from when I'm hiding, but after a minute, dad steps aside and gestures to the biggest tent in the tribe. It's where the Elders are.

"That's a good sign right?" Yang whispers. I'm not as confident as her in that, but I don't disagree. It feels like it should be, but all the same there's a prickling at the back of my neck, and unease.

Yang moves away from the flap and I follow, sitting down on her bedroll as she goes through the last of her things that we,- sorry, I – had packed away.

She lets out a noise when she finds what she's looking for. It was an orange scarf. She tightens it around her neck, shaping it into a balaclava.

It's her lucky scarf.

Is that a sign that she thinks we need some luck? Should I be worried?

There's a bit of commotion from outside, but it doesn't seem too hostile, if anything, it sounds like people are getting more comfortable around the newcomer knights. Another good sign I think.

I look down the knife Yang gave to me. I probably don't need this anymore right? If it's safe outside?

I should probably still keep it on me I think, just in case, so I tuck it into my waistband where I can use it if need be.

"I guess we can say they're not looking for you." Yang hums, sitting down across from me and leaning back. "There'd be a lot more violence if they were, right?"

At that, I let my shoulders slump. "Yeah, I guess so. Still not how I want to spend my time though."

My sister raises an eyebrow, "What? You don't like spending time in my tent? Is my room not good enough for your royal highness?"

"Yang!" I hiss. "Keep it down!"

She waves her hand dismissively. "Relax will you, it not like we're in any troub-"

"Excuse me, is there any supplies around here for us to use? You wouldn't mind if we borrow some do you-"

Suddenly an armoured hand moves the flap to the side and an armoured head pokes through. He freezes when he sees us.

Yang freezes when she sees him.

I freeze when I see him, and when I feel his eyes lock on to me.

He stares at me.

He recognises my eyes.

My face.

Oh gods, oh gods oh gods oh gods they found me! They found me and they're going to kill-

He nods his head.

"Your majesty."

And then leaves.

Just like that.

I stare.

Yang stares.

We both stare, at where the knight had just been.

Another voice calls out. "Did you find any supplies?"

"No, the tent was empty. I think they might be moving soon."

"Ah."

What was that?!

What had just happened?!

I turn to Yang in disbelief, looking for some kind of aid.

She just stares back at me, in shock and a little pale.

He'd seen me. He'd recognised me. He's called me 'your majesty'

And then he acted like it was nothing!

I sit there, completely still, waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the knight to come crashing back, sword in hand.

Nothing. Nothing happens. For a minute, then two, then three, then four and five.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes.

Not until half an hour later does Yang's tent flap move, and this time it's dad.

If he notices our still pale faces he doesn't comment on them.

"The knights are gone." He says. "They just asked for some extras supplies on their way back to Vale. We're fine."

"R-right." Yang swallows. "We're fine… yeah, we are."

He sends her a look but shakes his head. "Come on, fold down the tent and let's go, the tribe is already moving."

I don't need to be told twice.

…

..

It's a good few hours until I feel safe enough to breathe properly, and by the time I do we're on the open road.

The tribe is more relaxed now, and a good thing too, a group of three hundred or so people being tense isn't great for travel. I'm sitting on a wagon, holding the reins of one of the mules as he carries crates full of our belongings.

They don't really need the reins, but they're there just in case.

Yang's walking beside the animal, leading it casually as she talks and laughs with her friends.

I don't join in.

It's not for any real reason. it's just that they're not really my friends. Sure they act nice to me, mostly because they are, well nice, but I always feel as if they're only friends with me because they're friends with Yang. That sort of mutual acquaintance type of friendship.

I don't mind, I've never been good with people anyway, so it's easier like this, but it just means I stay quiet while she spends time talking with them.

It gives me time at least.

Time to think.

I can't get that knight out of my head.

Everything that should have gone wrong, hadn't.

Dad had told me that my mother had been the Queen of the Vale before she died, and that he'd raised me as his own to protect me from what the people in Vale might do to me if they found out I was alive.

It was likely they believed I was dead, what, being a baby when it happened, but dad was that kind of overly cautious that seemed paranoid until it was the exact time you needed to be.

Even if they weren't looking for me, dad told me I was almost an exact copy of my mother.

Hair as red as my name and the silver eyes of the rose lineage was easily recognisable to anyone who remembered the Queens' face.

Clearly that was the case, considering it had taken less than a second for the knight to call me what was technically still my title, even though it'd never even been to Vale before.

But that was the thing.

He should have tried to bring me back.

Or kill me.

I mean, the kingdom wasn't technically ruled by anyone at right now, all it had was a regent council that… wasn't exactly doing the best of jobs from what dad told me.

Either they'd send someone to kill me so that people could keep their power, or they'd bring me back to try to consolidate their own, which in that case would lead to my death via assassination anyway.

So the fact that that knight had done neither…. Was confusing for me.

And a little bit worrying.

Yang was fine though. Ever since we started moving she'd been completely okay, as if it had never happened.

She was carefree.

" _ **That's because she doesn't understand the consequences. She doesn't know the risks. She doesn't care.**_ "

I scowl at the empty space in front of me, pushing down that dark voice in my head. It was just a stray thought. Not even a true one. It was one of those ones you had that you didn't even believe yourself but was mainly there to think bad things about everyone around you.

Of course Yang cared, that was ridiculous.

… and now I'm arguing with a voice in my head, great job Ruby!

It didn't even matter now. It was behind me. We were moving onto the next place and if the knights came back they'd find an empty clearing.

I could forget about it, pretend it never happened. It had just been a fluke incident, one I'd be more careful about in the future.

I told myself that.

But I wasn't even sure if I believed it.

Again, that didn't matter. It didn't matter if I believed something, only that it would happen whether I believed or not.

I shake my head. My thoughts are going round in circles now. I need to find something to take my mind off it. Having nothing else to do, I look up.

It's too early for the stars to be out. In fact it's barely past noon, but something about the great canvas of blue has always been calming to me. I'm not entirely sure why, maybe it's some silly, childish thing from back when I was younger

That doesn't matter.

The reasons don't matter, just the results, right?

Ugh… now I'm asking myself questions. I'm not sure why, who's going to answer them but me?

Maybe I didn't get enough sleep, maybe the encounter with the knight still has me frazzled. A few people look my way as they pass and mutter to themselves, the younger ones.

Well, only some of them are as young as me, most a few years older.

Some of them do that, mutter things about me behind my back, or, well, to my face.

The adults don't. The tribe… whatever it _was_ , it had been loyal to my mother for some reason or another. The adults understood that, but kids my age were… well they had about as much real experience with my mother as I did.

Which was to say, nothing but the words of others.

To them, I was probably still an outsider.

I shouldn't have been; I'd lived here all my life, lived with them.

But that didn't matter to them.

I was fine with it really. After all, Yang's friends didn't care about that, so it was fine. I didn't need everyone to like me. That would just be ridiculous.

So I let them mutter and stare as I gaze up at the sky. Besides, I could just be looking far too deep into it.

They could just be annoyed that they had to walk while I got a free ride.

"Oi, Rubes."

"W-wha-?" I blinked, taken out of my daze as someone snapped their fingers in front of me. I look down, Yang's looking back at me with a curious expression on her face.

"You alright?" she asks. "You kind of dozed off for a second there."

I blink. "I did?"

"Yeah, you were starin' up there for a good hour or something. You keep doing that and you'll get a crick in your neck."

"Sorry." I feel myself shrugging. "I'll try to remember for next time."

My sister rolls her eyes. "I'd like it better if you stopped doing it. Seriously, do you know how creepy it is seeing you stare off like that?"

I raise an eyebrow. "That coming from the girl who practices the occult?"

"Hey!" she laughs, reaching up the wagon and plonking herself down beside me. The mules pulling us let out a little grunt. "Don't go calling it that city word. That makes it sound like what we do is dirty."

Yang doesn't actually sound offended, so I just shrug again. I don't foresee in my infinite wisdom that this would make her laugh more, reach over and ruffle my hair.

I can't help the whine that escapes me.

" _Yang!_ "

That just makes it worse. "Aw! You're so cute when you're flustered."

"I'm not flustered!"

"Uh-huh, sure you're not."

The scowl I give her probably doesn't help my case because her laughter just gets louder, drawing other people's attention to us. I try to shush her, but yelp in surprise when she throws an arm over my shoulder and leans against me.

"So what are you going to do first when we get to the Blue Grotto?" she asks suddenly. "I'm thinking of taking a dip in the lake, cool off."

I'm still trying to maintain my scowl, so I huff and cross my arms. "Just don't go skinny dipping this time." I grumble. "Last time you go _everybody's_ attention."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." She chuckles.

I push her off me a little, or try to, but Yang's heavy enough that she doesn't even budge.

I refuse to call her solid. It would only go to her head if I let that slip. Yang takes every compliment thrown her way as serious as the last, and she got a _lot_ of… complements.

"It _is_ a bad thing when I got guys coming up to me asking me to ' _introduce'_ them to you." I make sure to put the word 'introduce' in air quotes as I say it.

"Aw~" Yang coos at me, snuggling closer. "Is somebody jealous of all the attention I get?"

"More like irritated." I mutter. "Why can't they just talk to you themselves? Why do they all go through me first?"

"But that's the point Rubes!" she grins. "You weed out the ones I wouldn't waste my time on."

"By sending them my way?!"

"Pft! If a guy tries to use you to get to me then he's not worth my time. "

"Well then what about the ones that do?" I ask. "You blow them off just as much."

There's a pause, before Yang lets out a chortle. "Careful little sister," She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. "I could mistake your meaning there."

I blink, trying to figure out what she means by that.

It comes a second later and my face burns. Yang laughs at my misfortune.

I scowl at her and shove a hand into her face and she falls back with a yelp. She recovers quickly though. "You know what I meant!"

"Yeah, yeah." She relents after her laughter dies down. "Well you're just the first test sis. They still have to _impress_ me afterwards."

"And nobody has?"

"Not for too long. Some of the guys in the tribe get a little bit of the way, but they either reveal that they're just drooling over me, or just become flat out boring after a while."

I shake my head. "Glad that you have the options to turn so many people down because you get bored."

"You're sounding jealous again. You upset nobody looks your way?"

"With you as a sister that's pretty much a given." There is no heat in my words. I can't be mad at Yang for being the way she is. She draws people to her just by being there. The fact that I'm overshadowed by that isn't something I can hate.

Yang knows that, she knows I don't blame her for it, that's the only reason she jokes about it.

She flashes me a smile. "Don't be so down. I'm sure you'll find someone who likes you eventually. You're pretty, and cute."

"Cute, how wonderful." I hear myself drawling. "Cute like a child, or a pet. Wonderful."

"I mean if you're into the pet play…"

" _Yang!"_

To my misfortune, my cry makes Yang laugh again.

If there's anything Yang's good at, it's finding my suffering hilarious.

I'm glad, because if or those few minutes, she takes my mind off what happened earlier that day.

I don't ask her if that was the plan.

…

…

"Thank the gods." Yang yawns beside me. "We're here."

"It was only a few days travel." I yawn back just to be contrary. It's late, and the night sky shines above us now. I'm tired, but I don't feel like that's a bad thing.

Yang waves me off. "Let me complain." She says. "I'll be too busy relaxing tomorrow for it."

"Oh wow." My response comes. "You're schedule is so full!"

The sarcasm is thick, and makes her laugh.

"Alright I get it. Still, take a look at it! Looks better than I remember."

I can't help but nod in agreement. The tribe was filtering in all around us through the mountain paths, a small road, surrounded on both sides by tall rocky terrain. The trail is hidden from anyone who doesn't know the way, and stretches on for a good few narrow miles.

It opens up though eventually, into what I can only describe as a massive crater.

And I do mean massive, big enough to house an entire lake in it, complete with flowered meadows and trees encircling the edges.

Honestly, it looks something out of a fairy tale.

The lakes surface sparkles in a fluorescent blue glow from the starlight above, as if to prove that point further.

It was a beautiful place.

"Come on." I say, flicking the reins a little and pushing the mules on. "Let's get ourselves a spot."

Yang grunts in agreement, her eyes already drooping shut.

It doesn't take that long. We take the same spot we'd taken last time, under a yew tree closer to the water. Unpacking our stuff doesn't take long, and when it's done I hand the wagon over to someone else so they can store the rest.

Around us, other tents are being set up just as quickly, and bar a few men and women getting ready to patrol the night, most are getting ready to sleep.

My sister is among them.

"M'kay Ruby." She scratches her face. "I'm gonna' get some shut-eye. Night?"

"Yeah," I nod. "I just have one last thing to do before I go to bed. Night."

"…yeah. Night."

She doesn't say anything else as she crawls in and leaves me out in the open.

I appreciate it. A joke probably wouldn't have been in good taste.

I might as well get it over with. I take off north of the lake, near what can probably be considered the back of the Grotto.

There's a little hill there – though I'm not sure if it's natural or manmade, I never was – with flowers sprouting up all across its back.

There are no trees here. It's as if they parted to let the moonlight cast itself down on it.

Onto the little gravestone.

I stop just a few feet from it, unsure what exactly I should say. It's always like this. I don't really rehearse any lines, I think I would feel weird about it if I did.

I sit down on the grass, still quiet as I do so.

I just listen to the breeze, and the nightlife starting to wake up.

"…hey mom." I manage at last. "It's uh… me, Ruby." I feel like clarifying. Dad told me she was the one who named me that, but I can't be sure he's telling the truth. That's a kindness right? Letting a child without a mother hold onto a name as the last thing they gave them?

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Or, for me it has at least. I'm not sure if it works the same with you in… whatever afterlife you're in. I mean, you might not even be listening to me right now… you could be, I don't know, enjoying yourself in Valhalla."

She could be. It's not like I would know. I'm not even sure which option would make me feel better. If I knew she was listening I might feel awkward.

"A-anyway," I clear my throat. "I've been doing well. Mister Xiao-Long's still been looking after me. I mean… I know he's basically my dad, but uh…" Yeah, calling him that to my mother feels weird. She already had a husband, I already had a father, not that I actually knew who he was. He was… a consort I think, or something like that. Not that it mattered.

"Yang's doing well too. She's really been stepping up as a full member of the tribe. I think she might have other ideas though," I admit. I wasn't sure but… "I think she has plans of travelling alone, off the tribe's routes I mean. I think she wants to explore the world on her own terms… not sure when she might do that though. You know how Yang is. She drops ideas as fast as she gets them in her head."

I pause, trying to think of other things to talk about. I don't create a list in my head, and my life hasn't been all that eventful if I'm honest apart from a few key moments. But…

"There was a knight," I say. "This week, I met a knight from the city. He…. He was with others, recognised me and everything but… he didn't tell the others. I'm not exactly sure what that means but uh… I've been worrying about it, just a little, but nothing's happened since then so…"

I trail off and let out a sigh. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, you know? I-I mean, I supposed to be like, a princess right? I don't feel like one though, every year it feels more and more like some silly story, something all parents tell their daughters right? That they're little princesses? I mean, I might have started to believe I just hadn't grown out of that fantasy if it wasn't for that knight… and I'm not really sure what that means. What am I supposed to do?"

Of course, I don't receive an answer. I… Hadn't expected one obviously but…

I shake my head. It doesn't matter.

"So… it was nice to talk to you mom… I guess. The tribe's going to be here for a while, so I'll have plenty of chances to come back here… we'll uh… talk more then."

I have nothing more to say, so I give a little nod to the gravestone, hoping my mother knows I at least have my manners if nothing else, and turn away.

And stop as a shiver goes up my spine.

More than that, my stomach drops and I feel a sense of vertigo, I nearly fall over for a moment before I manage to catch myself and-

And then the feeling's gone.

I stare at the space in front of me.

Confused.

What… was that?

Of course, no answer.

I shake my head. I'm just tired. I need to sleep.

The trip to my tent is uneventful, though I'm not sure why I expect anything else. I crawl into my tent, changing into my sleepwear and pulling the bedroll over me.

I can hear Yang over in the other tents, snoring loudly.

I sigh and close my eyes and-

…

…

And wake up somewhere else.

I let out a strangled gasp as every nerve in my body shocks me awake, no, it shoots me to my feet. It must have, because I don't remember getting up. What was…?

Why am I in a cave?

I look around, trying to figure out what's going on.

I… I _am_ in a cave. There are the stone walls and ceiling, the wet dripping and stale air to prove it.

"Yang?" I call out, confused. Where was she? What is this? "Yang is this some kind of bad joke?"

No response. My voice bounces off the walls but… it doesn't sound right. There's an echo, but it's as if there's an echo _within_ that echo. It's disorientating. I shake my head, trying to focus. I was in a cave, with no clue where that cave was. I should probably try to fix that.

Like I noticed before, the air is stale, but even so, there's weak breeze washing over me. I'm facing the mouth of the cave at least, so I walk forward.

I walk, and walk, and walk. It's not exactly wrong, but I have a strange feeling worming in my gut. The cave walls are expanding… I think, the tunnels are opening up and I can see a light.

It's strange though. It's a dull one. Is it the moon? The sun? A torchlight?

And then I'm out. And the world opens up in front of me.

And my blood runs cold.

There's so much. So much wrong with the image in front of me, the landscape, the sky, the sun, the air, and everything else I can understand, but more than that, what I can't comprehend the most is the person in front of me… that person.

Is me.

* * *

...

 **And that's the first chapter. Some setup and an introduction to our characters.**

 **I'll be honest, writing in the first person like this is really fun, some of the most fun I've had writing in a while.**

 **But It's up to you if you think it was any good or not, so whatever you're thoughts let me know how the pilot was for you.**

 **I'm still new to present tense writing, I sometimes slip back to what I usually do so if you catch any of what I missed let me know and I'll fix it.**

 **For the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed, and since we're coming into the holdiays, I hope you have a good one.**

 **Also yes, this _was_ inspired by the Summer Rose Court. I'm allowed to love good stories okay!**


	2. Act 1: Part 1

**_..._**

 ** _Act I_**

 ** _Birthright_**

What is this?

What in the gods names am I looking at?

It's… me….

No, that's not possible, any logical part of my mind could tell me that.

And- and it had to be something else, this figure in front of me looks different to me too.

They were taller than me, older, their hair was longer and wilder. They wore no Xiao-Long garbs, but amour of blackened steel and red cloth and in their hands was a long, wicked looking scythe.

A scythe of all things! How could someone even wield that as a weapon? A farmers tool?

This couldn't be me, it made no sense.

And yet, even from where I'm standing I can see this woman's eyes.

They were hard, cold and determined.

And silver.

It doesn't get any more time to look because a scream tears through the air, drawing both our gazes. For me, its one of shock.

That wasn't a human scream. It wasn't even a scream at all. It was a screech, a demonic howl that I can feel turn my blood turning to ice.

The other me, I don't even know what else to call them but that, is far different; she doesn't look shocked or afraid, but instead her face twists into an angry glare. She raises her scythe behind her and takes off, and without the will of my own my body follows her. I'm… not moving, in fact I know for a certainty that I'm staying still and yet somehow I'm still behind her.

She's running like the wind, far faster than I could ever hope to keep up with, almost farther than my eyes can see and she doesn't look like it's even a strain for her. At this speed, the landscape rushes past me but even so I take it in as best I can.

Not that I want to

On and on the red sky stretches. On and on the dead, barren ground lies in every direction.

It's like a wasteland of the dead, not a single shred of life not from the grass to the trees to the animals. It's all just dead and gone

What even is this?

Is it a dream? A nightmare?

If so then why am I having it? I've never dreamt of something like this before.

Before I can question it any further that horrible howl echoes through the air again, closer this time.

Is this older me rushing _towards_ it?!

I turn to her in time to see her leap over a ditch and skid to a stop at the other side.

She stops, and lets out a low growl at the sight of the mound she's stopped in front of.

And then, the source of the howling revealed itself from behind the rocks and rubble.

Everything just stops.

No. no it doesn't. nothing stops except me. I can't move. Every feeling and fibre of my being has just suddenly seized to move.

As a monster steps forth from the shadows.

My breath catches in my throat.

I can feel my blood turn to ice, it's freezing

My- my heart. There's an aching, a burning in my chest so bad it feels like it's stopped.

What is that?

What is that?

 _What is that?_

 _ **What is that?!**_

A spirit, an apparition, a monster, a daemon not a single word that flies through my mind even comes close to describing the presence of this creature before me.

Some kind of beast, fur dark as midnight and a thick miasma leaking from its body that is even darker still.

It's massive, bigger than me for sure, maybe twice, or thrice my sizer and yet it walks on all fours.

It growls, a ruble low and shaking. It sounds like the dying groans of a mountain being ground into the earth and every instinct I have to run, to curl up in a ball, to die.

It wants me to die.

It wants me to die.

To die.

To die.

I'm going to die.

I'm moving again. But not by a sliver of my own will. I'm shaking.

I'm shaking like a newborn, a leaf in the wind and pathetic morsel staring up at a predator bearing down on them.

The sound that escapes me is even more so. It's weak, stuttering and fragile and it terrifies me, because for a moment I'm scared that it will hear me, that it will turn my way and even as the fact that this isn't real, that it's some kind of nightmare -because it has to be – I can't stop the fear that turns me to stone.

I look up, if only because I 'm trying to find a desperate way to avoid gazing at this manifestation of horror for even a moment.

Instead, I look straight into its eyes.

Swirling pools of oblivion.

The dark pools of the void

An infernal hellfire gazes back me.

All at once my body feels like it's fractured and I stumble back. I can't help the way my eyes widen or how I scream in terror.

Because it was looking at me. It's still looking at me!

No. This is a dream! I'm not in danger,

I'm not!

"See something?" a voice came, calm and steady, cutting through me haze of fear like a knife.

Perhaps because it's mine.

No, not mine, hers, this other Ruby, who even now was staring this creature down with not a hint of fear.

This woman, Rose - for I can't even comprehend how she is me, how she and I are the same – stares down the abomination before me.

"A scout," she mutters. "Talk about insulting. What were you looking at monster? No… why am I asking, it's not like you can talk… what can I say, it gets lonely sometimes."

The demons response was to lunge forward and snarl.

I'm already on the ground so when I tried to move back, all I can manage is a desperate scuffle.

Rose does no such thing. She charges forward to meet the foe with that same speed she'd wielded earlier. No, it's faster this time, for more agile, it's gotten to the point where I can't fully perceive it.

All I _can_ perceive is that curved blade of her slicing through the air.

And into the monster.

It's cried or horrible, but pained, as Rose whips around it like a hurricane; fast, merciless and deadly the air fills with black smoke and the ground with blood even blacker.

And I watch, for that's all I can do as this woman battles a terrifying demon dwarfing her in size.

She moves so strangely, in ways I would never even consider using my body and yet she weaves in and out of the monsters reach, dodging it's long and wicked claws. Her weapons cleave through it with metals song as she parts sinew with steel.

And just like that, it's over.

The best drops to the ground as she severs its spine and it spasms for a moment, before, right in front of me, fades away in a cloud.

And yet, it's not silent.

A howl echoes in the distance and again my blood runs cold.

Another one of them? No, I can hear it, them; another, and another and another. Tens, hundreds of howls and then more, other cried and screams and roars.

"Hmph," my other self grunts, hoisting the scythe over her shoulder. "One dies to be replaced by a thousand… I suppose this means it's over for me… I think I did well all things… but…"

Suddenly, she turns. Her eyes pass over my form, scanning over the general area, what is she looking for?

"Ruby Rose."

I stiffen as she calls out my- our name.

"I know you are watching, I've seen this myself long ago. Listen to my words." Her voice is commanding now, regal, powerful that I can't help but obey. "What you see here isn't a dream or a nightmare. It's the future."

 _What?_

"This is a future you must prevent."

A howl echoes, closer now.

Rose grits her teeth. "I can't explain it to you, not now but if you- if we don't do something then this word is what awaits everyone. You have to stop it however you can."

How? How am I supposed to stop this? There was no way this was real, I have to be dreaming. My mind is just making this up, an overly complicated hallucination.

"You may not believe me, but if you don't then you won't have the time you need to stop this. Heed my words, you must make your way to the capital and take back your throne."

And now my mind was stalling. This – this wasn't something I could ever think up – go to the capital?!

"You must retake your title and become queen. Speak to a man they call Ozpin, he will be your only supporter. Build an army, rebuild a kingdom and gain whatever power you can, no matter what.

A snarl cut through the air and Rose growled to herself.

"For me, it's over. I was too late, but if you value your life, and the life of your sister and everyone else you must do this."

A sea of black rises behind her, thousands upon thousands of red eyes tower above so high they blot out the sky.

Suddenly, they crash down back to the earth.

"Good luck." She smiles.

She's engulfed in a pool of black and I hear the sound of bones crunching under the mass of darkness.

It consumes me.

And then I wake up.

* * *

…

…

* * *

I don't wake up with a shock like I had in my dream. It's slow, like any other dream. My only other dream.

My eyes drift open as the sunlight ekes through the flaps of my tent.

I'm not… fully all there yet.

My heart is beating madly even as I lie there.

It's the only evidence I have that it wasn't just something I imagined.

Or… it was... it… had been a dream. Right? That was all it had been…. Why did I feel the need to tell myself that? Of course that was all it was. Anything else would be ridiculous.

The way my blood feels as if it's rushed to my head doesn't fade way though, and I breathe in and out, trying to calm myself.

I concentration the sounds of birds singing outside, the background noise of people moving and talking…. It's morning, the tribe is up.

I should be too, I realise, and so I do, sitting up and cupping a hand over my face.

"A dream." I mutter. "That's all it was."

I still don't know why I feel the need to tell myself that.

Like a lot of things, it doesn't matter right now. I get up, get dressed and step out of my tent.

The warmth hits me as I do and I feel myself relax a little.

Now then, onto the first proper ordeal of the day.

I turn to look at the tent beside me. It's still closed up, so a certain resident is still sleeping.

I could probably just let her sleep… but it's Yang, and she feels worse when she's not up early.

I open it and peek my head in. A blonde mane of hair is splayed out on the top of the bedroll and I hear that snoring again in full.

"Yang," I say clearly. She doesn't wake, not that I expected her to. "Yang, come on, it's morning," I say louder, adding a little contact as I poke where her leg probably is.

" _Mmphmmhrmm_." She mumbles unintelligibly, burying herself further into her sleep.

I'm not sure if it's just one of those days, or if I'm not in the mood after that nightmare, but I feel a scowl spread across my face. I reach out to touch her bare shoulder and _pinch_ hard.

Yang lets out a yelp as my nails dig into her skin and she scrambles up.

"Wha- what is… oh."

She blinks at me. "Did… you just pinch me?"

"U-um," I slump, the burst of annoyance I felt vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. I just felt guilty now at my own childishness. "You uh… weren't waking up so…"

"Oh… right, yeah that's fine." She notices my face and shoots me a smile. "Rubes don't worry about it. You just surprised me is all."

"Right, sorry."

"You mind closing the tent while I get dressed?"

I nod, backing up and standing outside her tent. I wait there for a few minutes before she steps out. Her hair is... I wouldn't say a mess, because Yang's hair is never a mess, but it looks a little more untamed than usual. My sister lets out a groan as she stretches and looks around.

"So what's on the list today?" she asks when she spots me.

"Don't know," I say with a shrug. "Dads probably got stuff for us, so we should probably see him about it."

"Do you think we could just skive off and not do work today?"

"Yang…"

"What?" She yawns again. "It's a nice day. Can't we just have it to sleep?"

"You were just sleeping." I grumble at her, causing her to wink at me. "Besides, dad would figure out we weren't doing anything and then we'd be in trouble."

"Yeah okay you win." She relents. "Let's go find the old man. You know where he is?"

"I think he was with the watch last night. So… near that pass entrance?"

Yang grunts, cupping the back of her head in her hands and walking on. I follow in step beside her. We pass other tents, other people. Some see us and wave, some call out and say somethings to Yang, who laughs and shoots something back a few words dad would yell at her for using.

It doesn't take long to find dad; he's talking with a woman dressed in green. She looked a little older than him, the first sign of wrinkles showing on her forehead. She's not one of the Elders. I know all of their faces. A scout or watcher probably. The fact that dad doesn't look worried means they're not talking about anything too important.

Dad always acts worried.

He notices us as we come closer and says something to the woman, who nods and dismiss herself, passing us and sending another, polite nod our way.

Our dad smiles at us. "Hey girls. Sleep alright?"

"Yeah," Yang grunts. "Ruby woke me up a few minutes ago."

He shoots me an amused look. "How brave of you."

"I know," I say. "It's a sacrifice to my comfort every time."

"Tell me about it. She sounds like a bear at the best of times."

"Oi!"

Dad and I share a laugh at Yang's expense as she acts out an overly dramatic pout. "I feel so attacked!" She bemoans. "I'm so heartbroken, so betrayed! Whatever will I do?"

"You can make yourself feel better by getting to work."

"Aw…"

Dad rolls his eyes. "Stop being a slacker once in a while. You can't help lead the tribe if you don't work hard."

I'm not sure if Yang pauses, or if it's just me. "Yeah… I get it. She shakes her head and grins. "So… what do you want us to do?"

"Nothing too hard I promise. The two of you can start off by patrolling the top the crater. Make sure no wild animals made their way in while we were sleeping alright?"

"Alright." Yang brightens up. "That's easy. Come on Rubes, let's go!"

"Coming," I say, waving back at dad as yang drags me off. "Bye dad."

He waves back, but if she says anything I don't hear it as Yang practically- no, literally lifts me off my feet and hoists me onto her shoulder.

"H-hey! Yang cut that out!"

"Nope!" she grins, jogging towards the walls of the crater. "It'll be easier this way."

"I can climb up myself!" I feel myself fuming. People are looking our way now. Why does Yang have to embarrassment bright and early in the morning?!

"Can you though? You're way to slow."

"It's called being cautious!"

"Bah! That's no fun."

We're at the face of the wall now, and Yang takes a hold of one of the rocks. "Ready?"

" _No._ "

"Eh, oh well. Hold on anyway, yeah?"

" _Yang!"_

Just over sixty seconds later we're at the top, me on my hands and knees praising the earth while Yang peers over the edge. "So how'd I do?"

I glare at her with as much venom as I can, which must not be much because she barely reacts to it other than her grin getting wider.

I let out a defeated groan. "Beat your personal best by ten seconds."

"Whoo!"

"Stop that!" I snap. "The fact that you can climb like a mountain goat doesn't mean you _should_. Especially when carrying precious cargo." Yang actually blinks in confusion. "What precious cargo?"

"ME!"

"Oh really? We're calling ourselves precious cargo now are we?" she snickers, helping me to my feet and slinging an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll remember to be _extra_ gentle on the way down."

"You are literally the worst." I mumble.

"Don't I know it." She chuckles. "Come on, let's get to patrolling. Try to take as long as you can yeah? I don't really feel like doing much today."

I roll my eyes but don't argue.

Yang leans against me as we walk, and I let my eyes scan over the Grotto. From up here, I can see the whole tribe, all together, working and moving and bustling.

It's a nice view.

It almost distracts me from….

"Got something on your mind?"

I nearly jump. Yang isn't looking my way, preferring to kind of gaze off into the distance, but I know she's talking to me. Still.

"How'd you know?" I can't help but ask.

Yang just smirks. "Trade secret. Can't tell you in case you try and hide things from me can I?"

"It's not like that."

"Yeah? Is something wrong? You can tell me right?"

"Nothing's wrong." I say quickly. "It's just… I… had a new dream last night."

"Shut up, seriously?" Yang's straightens up now, excited and interested at the prospect. I don't really feel the same way. "What was it about? Give me all the juicy details."

"…okay."

So I do, I tell her everything I can remember from the dream, and Yang listens to it all, though not pulling the appropriate – I think – levels of expressions when it comes to the shock and horror I'm explaining to her.

"So you saw some older version of yourself." She starts right as I finish explaining my dream.

"I think so."

"And… everything looked straight out of a nightmare?"

"Uh-huh."

"And there were big scary shadow monsters in it."

"There were."

"And your older self, who you saw fighting these big shadow monsters, told you to go to Vale."

"That is the sum of it yes."

There is a pause before Yang shakes her head. "Wow. You have the worst luck with dreams, don't you?"

"What do you think it means?"

Yang shrugs. "No clue. I'm not an oracle."

"So I don't have any idea why I…"

My sister looks at me and shrugs. "I mean… you had that run-in with the Knight not even a week ago… maybe because you were thinking of Vale it came up in your dream… and the monsters could be how you're afraid to go back. The weird sky and stuff is probably just classic nightmare material."

"And an older version of myself talking to me?"

"Oh come on," she grunts. "What else could that be _but_ a dream?"

I'm not convinced. I don't know why but… there's just this… feeling. This feeling that it's something more.

But I know… I can't see any other reason for it that some weird dream. It doesn't make sense for it to be anything else. What else _could_ it be?

"You're right." I say at least, shooting Yang a smile that I hope doesn't look too weak. "I'm… just not thinking straight. It's kind of a lot you know?"

"Sounds like it." She sighs. "You should relax though. No point in a dream freaking you out, you know?"

"Yeah." There's not much I can do about it anyway. If I had any control over my dreams, I'd have more than just two that make my nights harder.

I see Yang nod to herself, whether that's from my acceptance or something else I don't know. "So, you see anything?" she asks.

"What exactly are we looking for?"

"Eh, the usual, remember what it was like when we stayed in forever fall?"

"So, dangerous animals then?"

"Yeah, I don't there's going to be any wolves or snakes but we should check just in case."

Well if that's what we have to do then okay. It won't be too hard.

I stay with Yang as we make our way around the crater, and the work, while menial, helps take my mind off the dream once again. Soon, it's like it never happened, that small gnawing at the back of my mind the only evidence of it.

Even that is something I'm worrying about. Why did my dream tell me to go to Vale?

Was it trying to kill me? Was it evidence of suicidal tendencies? Or was I just looking too deep into it again?

Gah! Why was I still on this?! It didn't even make any se-

"Stop."

I hear a squeak pass my lips as Yang's arm comes up to stop me and I walk into it. She's solid enough that I almost crash to the ground. I don't though, and turn to shoot her a glare when I see her face.

She's staring off into the distance, serious.

My annoyance gives way to concern. "What is it?"

She doesn't answer for a moment, narrowing her eyes.

"Take a look… what does that look like to you?"

My eyes follow her gaze and I-

The air hisses through my teeth.

"Again?"

Yang and I are high up, really high up, enough that we can see over the treelines and mountain range as if we were birds, looking down and the paths below. It was something specifically chosen when we travelled so that we could see danger coming at all times.

It meant we could see far, far enough that our targets likely can't see back, or even realise they're being watched.

I can see knights.

They're coming closer.

"They're closing in."

"How did they even follow us?" I swear.

"Shit." Yang growls. "We need to tell dad, now! Come on!"

Yang takes hold of me before I can even let out a cry and runs to the edge of the craters cliff face. She doesn't slow, fearlessly sprinting off and skidding down the almost completely sheer face of it.

She's running, not even bothering to wait until her feet touch the ground again before she pushes herself off the wall and barrels through her fellow tribesmen.

She still doesn't set me down, ignoring the cries of others as she knocks them down.

"Sorry!" I call out."

"Excuse us!"

"Coming through!

"Watch out!"

It doesn't take long for a commotion to kick up because of it, and I see Dad making his way towards us with a frown on his face.

"What's going on?" he asks as Yang stumbles to a stop in front of it and I manage to free myself from her grasp. A crowd is forming around us.

"They're back." Yang gasps. "The Knights. They must have followed us."

The tribesmen and women immediately erupt in hushed gasps and mutters.

Dad's eyes harden in an instant. "Are you sure."

I nod. "We saw them coming this way. I-I don't know how many, but I could see the armour. It might be the same ones as last time."

One of the Elders besides him pulls a face as she looks my way. "They must have realised you were with us."

Another burst of whispered.

I feel myself tense.

I shouldn't feel any worry, but I do. If only because immediately I come up with a solution to the issue:

That being to hand me over to appease them.

Yang's already in front of me, her back to me and an arm shielding me as she glares menacingly at the Elder.

The wrinkled woman grunts. "Calm yourself child. Whatever you're thinking I'm sure you're wrong."

My sister growls, but dad raises a hand to stop her. "Yang, calm down. This is the Xiao-Long's tribe. You already know what that means."

I feel Yang uncoil just a little bit.

"We don't let any harm come to our own."

He nods, turning to the other Elders as they come forward. Six in total, two old woman, one young, one old man and two men about the same age as dad.

"Well then?" the old man grunts, sending a stink eye towards the crowd. "What are you all standing around for? Get your weapons!"

It's all the encouragement they need, and people are already running off, shouting orders to others as they passed them.

The tribe was arming itself.

Taiyang is in front of us in the next moment, gripping out shoulders.

"Yang, take Ruby to her tent and hide there. Protect her if things go bad. Do you understand?"

She scowls for some reason. "Of course I do. But what about the knights? This is going to get violent. You know that. I can fight, let me stand next to you."

He shook their head. "Too dangerous."

"But-"

"I said no." He barks sharply, and I feel myself jump. Yang does too and her scowl grows darker.

"Ruby, let's go. Into the tent."

"R-right."

I nod, following Yang quickly as she barrels her way through the crowds of people. The only people going the same direction as us are the children and the old. It makes Yang scowl harder.

We get to my tent and climb in, after a moment, Yang does the same, but the look hasn't left her face.

"Yang, are you okay?"

"No, no damn it I'm not." She growls. "I should be out there. I could fight them."

"They're knights," I respond quite reasonably I think. "They would kill you as soon as you raised a fist."

"They can't take on the whole tribe."

"How many people would they kill before the tribe brought them down though?"

Yang grits her teeth.

I can tell what's going on behind her eyes, what she's thinking, but suddenly she stills.

"Yang?"

"Stay here."

W-wh-" My eyes widen and I lunge forward gripping her arm. "Yang no! Dad said we had to stay here!"

She ignores me, and I'm nowhere near strong enough to even slow her down much.

She reaches for her vambraces, fastening her knuckledusters and standing up, dragging her with me as she marches out of the tent.

"Yang!" I hiss desperately. "Just think for a second!"

"I am thinking," she responds without even looking at me. "Just stay in the tent and wait for this to be over." I don't get another word in as she runs to the pass entrance where the others are gathered.

That idiot. What is she thinking? No, I know what she's thinking. She thinks she'll be able to fight them.

She can't. I don't even need to know how skilled these knights are to know that.

Yang might just make things worse. She'd be the first into the fight if things went that way.

The image of my sister being cut down by a knight's sword is enough to spur me into action.

I'm running before I even realise it. Anyone who could recognise me at that moment doesn't. They're too focused on what's happening in front of them.

It makes it easy to duck into the crowd as they form around the entrance of the pass now, and I manage to squeeze my way through, close enough to see what's going on.

And now I can see them;

Half a dozen men.

Such a small number when considering that they're facing over a hundred armed men and women.

It shouldn't even be a worry. They should be nothing more than an annoyance in the face of the tribe.

I can't help the way I'm shaking though.

Their armour gleams brightly in the sunlight, and it makes me feel cold.

Their swords hang loosely by their sides and I can't take my eyes off them. I'm waiting for them to draw them and start spilling blood.

No, no I can't think like that. Not now. I can't draw attention to myself right now, I just need to find Yang and try and drag her back.

I can't see her, my eyes scan the crowd of people and I can't recognise her amongst the faces.

What I do see, is the Elders step forward, dad includes, with grave faces. They hold no weapons.

They should be. I know it's to show they mean no threat to the knights, so they don't spark violence, but they should!

That's when one of the knights speaks. "Greetings are in order, I believe." He says. "Though from the looks of it, such manners would be… wasted at the moment. Tell me, why do you bare weapons against us?"

There's silence for a second, before dad elects himself as the one to speak. "We were approached by knights no more than a week ago. We haven't had any run-ins with authority from the city in a very long time. This is the second in a very short time. This is purely a cautionary measure, I'm sure you understand."

The knight raises an eyebrow, but other than that, doesn't give away what he thinks of that. "But of course. As you say, twice is something for a surprise, even for us I can assure you. You see, we're looking for… something."

I stiffen. The suggestion is an obvious one, for any who already know what it is they're looking for.

The tribe stirs, some clutching their weapons tighter, some tense violently.

The Knights take in all of their reactions.

Yet they don't call us out.

"Tell me, do you have something we might be interested in? Do you… Have an idea of what we might be looking for?"

"I can't say I do." Dad answered airily. "I'm sorry, but I think you've made some mistake, we have nothing like that."

"Oh?" The way he speaks fills me with dread. He obviously doesn't believe dad.

Come on Yang, where are you?!

"I would like to believe you," the knight hums. "But you see, we are looking for… a person actually, and one of my men reported to our superior that he saw that person… a girl. They are someone of importance you understand? Like I said, I would like to believe you, but I must make sure… perhaps it would ease my concerns if you allowed me to… look through this camp of yours."

And just like that my dad's gaze hardens.

"That's something I don't think I can allow… we cannot let outsiders into our home, we have had some unfortunate innocents regarding that course of action before, you understand don't you?"

The knight closes his eyes. "That _is_ a shame. This girl is important you see. We must find them, and if you are holding her, keeping her as we expect you are…. We may have to resort to other means in order to retrieve her."

It's a threat if I'd ever heard one, and the tribe hear it just as clear. Weapons are raised; swords, axes, clubs and spears pointed at the small bands of knights.

They are unperturbed, aside for one or two of them laying their hands on the pommels of their blades.

"I think," Taiyang speaks flatly. "That you should leave peacefully. There is clearly nothing here for you."

"Is that the final answer of your people?"

"Begone!" one of the Elder women dismisses. "We have no desire to converse with you any longer."

The knight sighs almost remorsefully. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

No. No, no no! This can't be happening! Why is this happening now?

That's when I see Yang. The rest of the tribe is moving, ready to attack.

Yang was moving before that.

Dad sees her too late to do anything.

"Yang don't!"

She doesn't listen. She's charging at them with a fist pulled back intent and carving through the first knight face.

The man sees her coming and tears his sword from its scabbard.

I see a thousand scenarios run through my head all at once. It all leads to the same outcome.

It doesn't matter if Yang gets to land the first hit. It doesn't matter if she lands a second or a third or fourth or fifth. It doesn't matter if she avoids the counter-attack, or the next or the next.

In all of them, she is overwhelmed and cut down before the tribe is close enough to help.

My body is already moving as a cry erupts from my throat.

" _Stop!"_

I crash into the knight, my arms wrapping around his sword arm as he raises it and Yang stumbles to a painful stop.

The tribe is suddenly in panic, but everything freezes, them, and the knights.

"Please don't hurt them!" I beg. "Please just leave them alone!"

The knight's face morphs into one of shock.

"Your majesty?"

The words don't register at first. I can feel tears stinging my eyes. "They just sheltered me. They didn't mean to do anything to go against the regent council. Please don't hurt them!"

"You mean… you are here willingly?"

I notice it the second time. The disbelief in his words, as if he is shocked by the fact that the Xiao-Long tribe was protecting me.

The words leave me suddenly, as once again everything stills, and the knights and tribesmen are in a stand-off, and yet it feels like neither of them knows what to do.

"I-I… -yes?"

I realise I'm still holding onto his arm, and as I realise it, stumbling back as I do so. Yang moves, standing in front of me once again. That seems to snap the knight out of it, who looks to his arm as if realising he still has it raised in a violent motion.

He sheaths it as quickly as it was brought out. "There has been a matter of confusion then."

The tribesmen are not convinced by the action, but dad steps forward.

"What do you mean?"

"We misinterpreted the information in front of us." Another one of the men says. My eyes are drawn to him, and I realise he is the knight from the last time. The one who saw me and said nothing to his comrades.

And he in turn notices my recognition. He bows deeply. "Your majesty., forgive me. When I saw you, I assumed the fear you shed was in regards to your surroundings… I did not consider it might be to us."

A feeling flares up in my chest. "How can you say that?" I glare, and I think I only manage it because Yang is between me and them. I can still feel myself shaking. "How can you honestly think I would be afraid of you?"

"We did not consider you would not recognise us?"

"Recognise you?" I parrot.

"Indeed, you do not know our coat of arms?"

I feel like I'm missing something. My eyes flicker down to their coat of arms, their heraldry.

It's something I don't recognise. It… looks like a cog, like the kind found in those expensive children's toys. I'd seen a broken one once before, splayed out on the ground. That was what they were called wasn't it? Cogs?

"I don't know what that is?" I answer truthfully. Or at least I think I do. Something gnaws at the back of my mind, something clawing its way out.

' _ **You do know it.**_ '

Do I?

The Knights share a look with each other. "I see." The first one says again. By now, I feel like he has established himself as their leader. "It is the heraldry of one of the council members. He was a loyal subject of the queen when she reigned. We served at that time also," the leader proclaims proudly. "In fact I was but a squire at the time. His name is Lord-"

"Ozpin." The words leave my lips in a whisper, and yet it carries over the crowd in the otherwise silence. I feel eyes on me from every direction, and I shrink into Yang's back. She's frozen too. I told her about my dream after all.

The leader blinks in confusion. I had just told him I had no idea who they served after all.

"That is correct."

The words are damning for me, even if I don't understand how yet. All I know is that my stomach feels like a hole had opened up under me.

"Why are you here?" The Elders ask again.

This time, the knight bows respectfully, reading the situation as it really was now; that the Xiao-Long tribe had been my protectors all this time.

"We were ordered by Lord Ozpin to retrieve her majesty safely."

"Why?" Yang growls out. "What do you want with her?"

"Lord Ozpin wishes to help her take back her throne and restore her as the rightful Queen of Vale."

There is a very prevalent breeze I notice. Really, apart from the _oppressive_ silence I feel now, there is nothing else.

"W-what?" I gap.

"You can't be serious." Dad stares. It looks like the situation has just gotten a bit too ridiculous for him to hide behind a mask now. His eyes are wide and he looks a little pale.

"They were his orders." The knight responds. "From the information we possessed, Lord Ozpin was convinced that the Xiao-Long trine was keeping the princess in their clutches for their own designs. We know that not to be true now."

"What kind of designs could we possibly have?" Dad scowls hotly. "The Queen was a friend of this tribe."

"… We were not aware of that."

"What?"

"Information on the Queen has been scattered since she disappeared. I do not know exactly how, or even truly what has been happening, but deals and decisions her majesty made during her rule are being…. Less and less prevalent. Some are even completely unknown now after so long."

"What does that even mean?"

"As I said, I do not know, but Lord Ozpin has the right to be suspicious of the princess only surfacing now, and of a tribe that seemingly had her in their possession."

"Ruby is not a _possession_." Yang sneers, I can feel her shaking now, she's really, really angry, itching for a fight now. "She's a member of this tribe!"

"… I see." The knight's eyes flicker to my sister, then back to dad. "May we speak about this matter somewhere more comfortable? I feel as if this will be a complicated endeavour."

"…" Dad shares a look with the other elders, whatever they share, it makes him nod. "We can. "Come with me."

The knight bows. "Thank you."

Dad nods again, and motions for the knights to follow. He barks an order for the rest of the tribe to disperse, and after a moment's hesitation from plenty of them, they do.

They pass me, and as they do, each of them nods their heads. "Your majesty, it is an honour." And then they follow the elders.

It isn't until they leave that my legs finally give out.

"Ruby!" Yang gasps, catching me before I can hit the ground. "Are you alright."

"N-no." I breathe, trying to calm my heart as it beats madly. I feel like I almost had a heart attack just then. I don't know if I can manage a glare, but I shoot one Yang's why anyway. "Don't ever do that again."

"I-"

"Ruby, Yang!"

We both flinch at the voice. OR dad hadn't left with the others it seems, and he doesn't sound happy in the slightest. He marches over to us, and it might only before how much I'm shaking that he doesn't drag us both to our feet. "What were you thinking?!" he snaps. "I told you to stay in your tents."

I swallow. "I-"

"It was my fault." Yang confesses immediately. "Ruby came after me when I decided to come."

Dad takes a long breath as if he's trying to cool his temper. "Why?" Is his only question now.

The way he says it, flat and desperate, as if he's just trying to understand, is what makes Yang look down at the ground in shame. "I-I…. I wanted to help. I can fight, I could have helped." I wanted to say she wouldn't have. That she would have died easily. I don't know _why_ I want to say it, but either way the words catch in my throat before I can.

"Yang," He breathes, before he crouches down to face us at our level, Yang is still clutching me against her chest as I feel my breath staying. I know she feels guilty by the way she holds me closer. Dad notices it too, and rest and hand gently on her shoulder. "You can't think like that again yang." He sighs. "You need to protect your sister, and that means you can't just into danger like that, and you especially have to think whether or not what you're doing might drag her into it."  
Yang doesn't answer. She just looks at the ground.

He sighs again.

"I suppose it doesn't matter now. Miraculously, you and Ruby being seen might have been the best option right now… I'm not sure how many of us might have been hurt by them because of the confusion, or worse.

"Are we sure what they're saying is true?" Yang asks suddenly. "I mean, doesn't it sound just a little too convenient?"

Dad shoots her a confused look. "Does it?"

"I…" she trails off. To them, it probably doesn't it Yang and I, because I'd mentioned Ozpin before, in a dream I had just last night, it definitely does.

It was just a dream though. Nothing else makes sense.

"It is something we'll be careful about though," dad acknowledges in the silence. "I… know of Ozpin. Summer mentioned him a few times; he was apparently one of her most trusted advisors… that was before the coup though. Say away from them until we figure out if they're truthful or not."

"And if they are?" Yang presses. "If they are telling the truth? We're not really going to let them take Ruby are we? To the city?"

"I can't trust anyone there." I mutter aloud. "I'd be dead as soon as they turned the other way, I'd be assassinated in a week."

I say the words, but there's something stale about them.

My dream had told me to go to Ozpin, hadn't it? To find him, that I could trust him.

Should I?

I have no other reason to apart from that.

"We'll figure something out." Dad promises us, standing up. "For now, you two should try and calm down, get something to eat if you can, it'll make you feel better. Okay?"

"Okay." I mumble, nudging Yang, she takes the hint and helps me stand again. "I guess there's nothing else we _can_ do right now anyway."

"That's one way to look at it," he sighs. "I'm going to go speak with them other Elders with them, figure this out…. See you until them."

Yang nods beside me as dad leaves us alone, making his way through the other tribesmen and woman as they whisper to each other.

Most still haven't discarded their weapons.

"Come on Ru," Yang says, ignoring the way people look at us. Things are stiff now, the tension hasn't disappeared, it's just found a new target.

Us.

"Let's go get something to eat."

"… Okay."

It wasn't like there was anything else we could do right now.

* * *

...

...

* * *

 **So by the time this is out christmas is over and I'm back to wrting again. it was pretty fun. I didn't really do much over the it, but really that's a good thing. I like being lazy.**

 **Anyway, there's a few things going on in this chapter that will start building up the plot, although for most people that doens't seem to be the main focus.**

 **I uh... got a lot of PM's about pollination... so that was fun.**

 **Not as much as I expected, turns out most people are completely willing to see how it goes and even pointed out a few stores that could be good to look into. Of course... it's the more vocal criticas you hear from.**

 **Well, we'll see where that goes. Hopefully they eventually start enjoying this too if they're going to stick around anyway.**

 **Again, I have to say writing in first person is really really fun. Like wow, it's so much easier to write and I can play around with character thoughts a lot more. The present tense is a little more difficult but even that's enjoyable when I do anything with acutaly action. And not fight scenes, I mean characters doing'/reacting stuff.**


	3. Act 1: Part 2

...

 ** _Act I_**

 ** _Birthright_**

 _"I am the shield of the weak and the sword of the strong, I am the guardian of the defenceless and the monster of the damned. To this end, I pledge my body to my kingdom, my soul to the crown and my heart to my people. In peace there is valour, in war there is honour and in both_ _I lay down my life. This I swear it by the gods and by my name, let my pledge be written down in history and may my actions hold true to this until my end."_

 _-Knights vow to the Kingdom of the Vale_

The buzz doesn't leave my system for hours.

For a while, most of my actions are accompanied by shakes. When I try and do as dad says, it's actually hard to eat. I don't have an appetite, and anything I do manage to get down threatens to come back up.

The rest of the tribe only fares slightly better because the current issue doesn't revolve around them and their loved ones.

A few of the younger members are giving me strange looks, whispering amongst themselves.

Yang is there to shield me as best she can.

She doesn't leave my side, and while she does talk to others, her hand doesn't leave my shoulder.

I'm not sure if it's a sign of support, or prove that I'm not going anywhere yet.

Because for some reason, I feel like I might.

I have no need or desire to go to the city, no reason to venture into the same place my mother was backstabbed for even a moment.

Nothing, except for what my dream told me.

That I should go.

Why was that such an important reason to me?

I don't find an answer.

Hours pass, and Yang and I try to keep ourselves busy with cooking, feeding the mules and any other busywork we can manage. A few of the knights leave and enter the Elders tent through the day, and the one or two times they catch sight of me, it's a terrifying experience.

For me anyway.

They don't _do_ anything, but they watch me as I work.

I'm not really sure, but they look surprised that the princess would be doing the dirty work. And… well it was dirty work, you didn't do any good work with clean hands.

That's not the only off-putting thing though, even if it's high on my list of priorities.

Yang isn't talking.

As in, she's not talking to me.

She holds polite conversation with others, if only to get them to leave sooner, but apart from the physical contact, she really hasn't said a word the whole day.

 _Yang_ not speaking is scary enough thought on its own, mix it with all this and it makes me feel ill.

I'd be fine with it if it wasn't for that look, that face she kept making. She's staring off into the distance, with a frown on her face so deep I'm afraid it might stick.

I don't say anything. Not for a long while. Not until the sun's gone down, the moon begins to rise and the torches lit.

Nobody wants to sleep right now. Not with those knights still here.

When I finally work up the courage to speak, I'm sitting on a log around a campfire. It's a small one and… well apart from Yang and I nobody else is here with us.

I don't know what it is, but there's this isolating feeling now, as if nobody's sure what to do with us.

I can't think of a way to fix it right now.

But it gives me a chance I think, doesn't it? To talk to yang alone.

Right now, yang is staring into the fire, that same look on her face.

"Yang?" I try.

No answer. For a long moment I don't move, but when I realise yang _isn't_ going to say anything, I bite my lip. Okay, that was fine.

"Are you okay?"

Still, no answer. A worrying feeling worms its way through my gut. I know it's couldn't be true, but if it gets a reaction….

"Are you mad at me?"

Like I expected, it does. Yang blinks, her head snapping to stare at me as she opens and closes her mouth a few times.

"What? No! Of course not? Why would you ask that?"

'To get you to do something other than sit there', is my immediate answer, though I don't say it aloud. She's talking now, no point in getting her mad.

"I… don't know. You haven't said anything to me all day… I don't know what you're thinking."

"I…" she gives off a frustrated sigh. "Sorry Rubes. I'm just… thinking."

"About the knights?"

She snorts. "What else?"

"I don't know, the weather's been nice," I state flatly. "You could be contemplating that for the last few hours instead of talking to me when I'm freaking out over this."

She winces, and I realise what I tried to make as a joke came out a jab at her in the end.

"Sorry." She says, and it makes me feel like the worst person imaginable at that moment.

I can't say I didn't mean it, she'd tell that I did but…

"I'm sorry too." I mumble. "I'm just…. This is pretty scary for me."

"You shouldn't be worrying about it."

"Can' help it," is my response, and with a chuckle I add. "I was pretty much regretting every life choice I made when I grabbed that guys arm you know? I almost fainted."

"Yeah…" she trails off. "Why did you jump in?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you jump in?" she repeats. "I was about to start on him, and I know things are technically working out right now but we didn't know what was going on then. I could have hit you by accident, so why did you get in the way?"

Get in the way. The way she says it makes me scowl. It's like she's accusing me of something. "Because I could see what was about to happen. You were going to get yourself killed."

"I could have taken him."

"And the other five at the same time?"

"For a few seconds until the tribe got involved, yeah."

"And then what? How many people do you think would have died first?"

"We're strong enough to take them. The tribe is strong."

"Yang!" I snap, and it makes her flinch. She knows what she's saying is wrong, or I hope she does, but she's too stubborn – always has been – to admit it like that… but that idea of strength…

I've no idea where she gets it from.

I can't hold my anger though and I end up apologising again.

"It's fine." She mumbles. "We're uh… both kind of messed up after this, yeah?"

"Y-yeah." I nod, grasping the olive branch she's given me. "We're just under pressure with these guys. We can deal with… with all this when they're gone, yeah?"

"You got it." After a moment, Yang raises her fist my way and shoots me a lopsided grin. "Best Sisters Forever?"

She manages to get me laughing as I knock my knuckles against her own. "Obviously."

For whatever reason, Yang relaxes at that.

I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen, but I know Yang wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt me, so as long as she's okay with me, with what's going on, then I can be okay with it too. At least for a little while longer.

So we sit by the fire for as long as we can and try to focus on that, and only that.

I'm… not actually sure how long we're there for, I feel exhausted after everything. I doubt I had anything adrenaline related that I was going through, but the stress of the day leaves me tired all the same.

So of course, that's when dad comes to get us.

"Girls?"

We turn, looking his way. "Uh… hey dad," Yang says. "Is everything alright now? Are they gone yet?"

His eyes flicker between us, and I can already tell what it is he wants to say.

"The Elders are at an impasse at the moment… they want to see you… both sides."

Yang tenses beside me.

I swallow. "The Knights want to see me?"

"…yes."

"… Can Yang come?"

Dad's eyes soften. "Of course."

We both breathe a sigh of relief.

"Come on," he motions. "I'll be there too. We won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

I nod, worried that if I speak, words might fail me. I can feel the fear crawl up my spine again already.

I want to go back to my tents and sleep, but then this wouldn't go away. I doubt they'd let me sleep anyway. The Xiao-Long tribe may not be considered prissy and proper by even commoners in villages we'd passed through, but it had it's own kind of honour all the same.

Again, Yang is beside me, a hand on my shoulder. She gives me a light squeeze, and I know she's with me on this.

It's the only thing that makes me brave enough to follow.

While we walk, I can still feel the eyes o0f the tribe on me. I'm not even really sure what they're thinking, but it feels heavy all the same.

We come to the Elders tent and with a nod, Taiyang motions us to enter.

So we do.

I'd been in here… a few times before.

The Elders for all the same suggests, aren't cut off from the rest of the tribe. Yang and I got into trouble all the time when we were younger. It usually meant Dad would have some stern words for us, but sometimes the Elders would speak to us themselves.

There's a certain charm at getting chastise by people old enough to be your grandparents.

The elders never scared me. I trusted them. It was their job to look out for every member of the tribe as best they could.

But right now, it felt different. There was still no fear from them, but the looks on their faces, the graveness of them, made me worry.

And those knights were still here, looking at me curiously. "Tribes-kin Ruby Rose," one of the Elders, the old woman who'd been ready to fight the knights before, nods to me. "Are you doing well?"

"I-I am, ma'am." I respond quickly. The presence of these knights is off-putting, but I have enough respect for the Elders to push through that.

I can't tell what they think of that, but the knight that was their leader seems interested on Yang's hand resting on my shoulder. What did he think of that? Was he considering whether Yang was a target or not?

"That's good." The Elder says, and then pauses to think. "We have been… discussing things with these fellows for some time, as you know."

"I do."

"Good… good. We… have gone over a number of things."

"May I ask what kinds of things ma'am?"

"You can."

"We discussed their objective," one of the younger Elders speaks. The middle-aged woman with short sandy hair. "We have not determined much, other than… it seems they really do mean you no harm. At least _they_ do not. The intent of their Lord is unknown to us."

The Knights' shift, and I can tell they don't appreciate the insinuation that their Lord isn't trustworthy.

Well tough, I don't trust them for a second, I'll hear what the Elders have to say whether they like it or not.

If the woman notices their tiring, she is not put off by it. "While we cannot judge the measure of this 'Ozpin' we can see that he has not sent these men to kill you. It would not make sense to us therefore, for him to bring you to Vale to harm you when simpler methods exist."

That… is a good point, I could admit. Still…

One of the male Elders takes over. "That isn't to say we know whether his intention are benevolent or not. As far as we know, he could be the kind who likes to do things personally… such as harming you."

"He is not." The leader answers, his jaw working slowly. He was loyal then, and clearly didn't take kindly at all to their words.

Again, tough for him.

"Be that as it may, without proof one way or the other, we cannot recommend a decision for you ourselves… there is something else however.

This time, it's dad who speaks. "According to the sir's before us, it may only be a matter of time before your existence here with our tribe spreads to others that might mean you genuine harm. They might send men with more dangerous intentions in mind… if you were to go with them to… Ozpin, they are certain he could help you… in some way."

"Lord Ozpin is on the Regent Council," the leader informs us. "As such, he has much sway within the city. He could make plans to instate you back to your rightful place."

"But the others on the council might not be so agreeing," Dad shoots back, and reluctantly, the knight nods. It doesn't please dad in the slightest. "These council members have power as they are now. I do not think they would be pleased to find out they could lose it to a young girl."

"The Princess-"

"Is just a child!" he snaps. "She is my daughter, and it's not fair to put her through that when she doesn't want to."

"Her Majesty is _not_ yourdaughter _._ "

And all of a sudden it feels as if things might erupt into violence again. Even the Elders look ready to pounce on the knights, regardless of whether or not they could be a threat.

"What if I said yes?"

They freeze.

I blink, and it takes me a moment to realise _I_ was the one who asked that.

Why did I ask that?

" _Ruby!?_ " Yang hisses into my ear.

"We would escort you safely to the city." The leader explains steadily, he looks pleased that we're finally discussing his mission as a success. "We would escort you to Ozpin, and from there we would spread the truth that you are the only rightful heir to the throne. From there, it would be up to my Lord to persuade the other council members to bend the knee to you."

"Could he do that?"

"My lord is very persuasive."

"Ruby!" Yang hisses louder this time. "You can't be serious! You aren't really going to-"

"Would the tribe be safe?"

Yang stiffens beside me.

I lick my lips as I run through the scenarios. "Could you get rid of the knowledge that I was hiding here? Could you make sure nobody could track it back to the Xiao-Longs? So that they would be safe?"

"I do not know your majesty." He admitted truthfully. "That would be a task for my Lord. But I'm sure he would have the ability to if you asked, or at least stop it from spreading further."

That's it then. The fact that the tribe could be in danger if I don't go is like a nail in my reluctant coffin. And that dream is still there in the back of my head.

"I-"

"Give us a moment." Dad suddenly cuts in. "Could you leave us for a few minutes to discuss this as a tribe?"

The knight smiles, clearly satisfied with his progress. "Of course… we will be at the exit to the Grotto… for when you come to a decision."

They bow to me, one last time, before making their way out of the tent, leaving us alone.

And all traces of calm and noble airs vanish.

Yang spins me around instantly. "What are you thinking!?" she growls.

"I was-"

"You can't trust them! You know that! Are you seriously considering going with them? Are you crazy?"

"Listen, Yang-"

"Is it a death wish? Did I do something wrong or something?"

"No! Of course not!

"Then-"

"Yang!" Dad snaps, silencing her in an instant. My sister looks between us, and backs off. She doesn't look happy though, and she crosses her arms over her chest in protest.

Dad lets out a long breath before he turns to me.

"Ruby… what are you thinking right now?"

He doesn't sound upset.

He sounds… resigned. Why?

"I… what he was saying made sense didn't it? If I don't go it puts the tribe at risk. We're supposed to protect the tribe at all costs, right?"

"All costs but your life child." One of the Elders grunts. "Throwing away one so young does no one a service."

I look away. "Not if I can do something about it, right?"

Dad doesn't look satisfied, and I can't really see a way I can convince him on what I'm thinking. What was I supposed to say? That my main reason, the real one, was because I couldn't shake the feeling that I had to, that an older version of myself had told me to in a dream?

All I can do, is shake my head ruefully.

"I mean, this was what I'm supposed to do, right?" I laugh, but it's mirthless. "I'm the last drop of blood of the Rose line, the people supposed to look after Vale and its people, right? What am I going to do if I run away from that? What does that say if I'm too afraid to take up the duty I was supposed to anyway?"

"You'd be like any other child." The response is a simple one, but the way my dad says it… hurts. Like he knows no matter what he says it won't matter. He wants to say more, I know he does, but he sighs instead. "You know, I knew this day would come eventually…or… no… I didn't. It was a guess really." He runs a hand through his hairs in that typical Xiao-Long way.

He looks old.

"I thought there was a good chance you'd be able to live your life without it altogether, without the worry of that… cursed throne. As a parent, I shouldn't let you go… but a Summer's friend I don't think I can stop you. Can I?"

"…I don't think so."

He nods. "Then that's that then."

"What!?" Yang barks, her eyes are wide as she stares at dad madly. "You can't be serious. She needs to say here, where it's safe! You can just tell her to stay!"

"I could force her to stay…," Taiyang agrees. "but that's not our way. It's never been our way. If Ruby decides that she needs to go, then I can't, won't stop her."

"Agreed." The old Elders gruffly adds. "A Xiao-Long does what they feel is best for the tribe, and it is our job to support them." One of the old women sends me a crooked smile. "Just don't forget about us, ye' promise? You can send us some of yer Queenly riches when everything calms down."

"I promise," I mean it too, and a smile spread across my face. "Besides, we can think of it as paying back rent, right?"

The Elders laugh at my words. It's loud, rapturous, and overblow like the Xiao-Long tribe is special for.

I almost miss Yang storm out of the tent in a fit of anger.

This time, I don't follow.

I'm not sure if I'll regret it later.

* * *

…

…

* * *

The night is long, and I rest for none of it.

Throughout it all, the Elder's are working with my dad to try and help me in any way they can.

They help me pack my things, arrange what I should take with me, and bestow upon me… well...l

"Gifts?"

"In a way." My dad hums. "You can call them mementoes if you want."

"To what?"

He smiles at me. "To the tribe of course."

My eyes snap back to what he's holding in front of me.

At first, it doesn't look like much; old, almost baggy and ragged garbs.

I take a second look, and I can see it's so much more than that.

It's subtle, but the interior is spun with golden threads, and the outside is akin to almost desert-like covers. A symbol of our tribes' history, of how our ancestors crossed the deserts of Vacuo to get here.

Next, is a small, curved dagger, with a gnarled and twisted hilt. I recognise it as one f the Elders own. A ceremonial dagger, representing good fortune at the cost of work. Or in more literal terms, blood.

And the last, is a red scarf. This one, I'm not sure of, so I look up at dad top ask.

He smiles again. "For luck."

Oh.

I'm not sure what to say and he notices, resting a hand on my shoulder.

He leaves me alone for a moment to myself.

I steady my breath. Crying now over something so silly would be embarrassing.

The only reason I trust these knights is the words of my Elders, but that doesn't mean I'll show weakness in front of them.

I force back the stinging in my eyes and dress myself, wrapping the scarf around my neck and pulling it up to cover the lower half of my face.

When I exit the tent again, dad looks me up and down once.

He doesn't say anything… but I see a twinge of… pride, I think.

He leads me to them, to the Grotto's pass, where the six knights stand waiting. They see me coming, and the leader smiles.

He bows to me. "Your majesty. We hitched up a wagon to some of our horses to make the journey as comfortable as possible, and your belongings are on board."

I don't say anything. I don't want to, this is still too much for me to trust him.

If it upsets him, I can't tell, and a moment later, he mounts his horse.

He can at least realise that I don't want him to help me up onto the wagon, so he at least has that going for him.

I'm not sure what else I can say. The tribe hasn't stopped to see me off. They continue their work, as if nothing has changed. I appreciate that for some reason.

It's just when we're about to leave, that I hear a voice.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Dad turns as I look past him.

Yang is there, with her hands on her hips expectantly.

"Yang?"

"Well?" she says. "I asked you a question. Where do you think you're going?"

She's asking me that now? Seriously? "Um… t-to Vale?"

"Not without me you're not."

"Huh?"

She ignores my bewilderment, and it's then that I notice the duffle bag slung across her back. She brushes past my confusion and climbs onto the wagon, planting herself down beside me and shooting a grin my way. "You didn't think you'd be getting rid of me that easily did you?"

I must be gaping like a fish, because Yang's grin grows wider. "I-I-"

"Yang."

Dad's voice cuts me off as he meets Yang's eyes.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course I do," she answers breezily. "You said it yourself, right? I need to protect Ruby. Well this is me doing that."

His eyes drift shut for a second, and he nods. "Alright."

She tilts her head, and even in this moment, her smile doesn't leave her face. "I guess this is goodbye then oldman."

Dad shakes his head. "No. A Xiao-Long always returns to the tribe one day Yang, one way or another."

"…yeah, I guess they do."

He nods to us one last time. "Good luck girls. And keep each other safe."

There's more he wants to say, I know there is. But just like I can't afford to show weakness in front of these people, neither can he in case it damages their view of me.

His sombre face is the last I see of him for now, as the wagon pulls away at the order of the knights.

I feel my whole body sag.

"Are you okay?" My sister asks me.

I can't help but laugh.

I ignore the way it comes out like a choke. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You… you don't need to come with me Yang. You said it yourself, it's dangerous. You shouldn't put yourself through it."

"Yeah, and neither should you, but here we are anyway."

I try to look away, but Yang steers my head back to her. "Hey, don't worry about it. I said it already didn't I? You can't get rid of me that easily." She leans back against the side of the wagon. "Besides, I've never been to the city. This could be really fun if things work out."

I can't help it, no matter how much I try this time.

My eyes water, and I sniff.

"Thanks Yang."

"Hey, what kind of awesome big sis would I be if I let you do this alone. A Xiao-Longs always going to have your back Rubes, count on it."

* * *

...

…

* * *

It takes us hours to leave the mountainous terrain behind us, and when we do, night has passed and the sun is steadily rising high in the sky.

The knights may be our escort, but I don't talk to them. Honestly every second I'm around them is another where I'm worried they'll all turn and chop us into pieces.

Yang doesn't seem to have any of those reservations though, because she's been talking without a hint of caution.

"So what exactly is the city like then?"

"Oh?" The leading knight hums, who'd told us his name was River. "You've never been? No, what am I saying of course you haven't, my apologies."

"Nah, it's okay." My sister waves off. "I think it's just cool that I'm actually getting to go. So, details? What's the Vale like?"

"Vale."

"Eh?"

"It's just Vale, if you say The Vale people will know you're an outsider no matter how you look or dress."

Yang tilts her head to the side slightly. "So there's a difference?"

"A small one, but yes; _The_ Vale is the title of the kingdom in its entirety. All of its provinces and lands fall under this name. Vale as a singular thing refers to the capital city alone."

"So what's The Beacon?"

River chuckles lightly. "Again, there is a difference in _The_ Beacon and Beacon."

"Seriously?"

"The names were chosen a long time ago when we were one kingdom. None have felt it right to change things."

"Okay," Yang sighs lightly. "I guess that makes sense. So what's the difference there then?"

The knight leaned back on his horse slightly, and I didn't miss how he glances at me ever so often. "Well Beacon is the palace and the surrounding grounds. It is raised above the city on a sheer cliff-faced plateau with no way to attack it from any side without being seen and leaving the attacking army at a disadvantage, and make no mistake you would _need_ an army to launch an assault on it. It has stood for so long without falling because of both its natural defences and architecture."

"Uh-huh." Yang nods strongly. I'm not entirely sure she understand it all but she's definitely interested.

I hate to admit it, but so am I.

"The Beacon is another matter. It is a single tower, right above the throne room that spirals into the sky. It is the tallest tower, built for the purpose of lighting a great majestic flame."

"A big fire? Why?"

"It is a symbolic thing. To give the people hope. It was lit whenever the monarch was in discussion regarding decisions that would affect their people. Laws, declarations, pardon or judgments, the fire would be lit from the time they started to the time they were over… the fire is a sacred thing to the people of Vale, and hasn't been stoked in many years."

"Since my mother." I mumble.

The knight nods to me. "That is correct your majesty. We will have time to rejoice however. The flame will be seen once again, on the night of your coronation. Then all of those in the city will see that hope again."

"…Yeah… sure."

See that hope again? Who was he kidding? The people didn't care about me, they didn't even know me, and it wasn't going to be as easy as just walking up and expecting them to set the crown on my head.

The idea that this would go well was ridiculous, the fear of assassinations was proof enough of that.

That just made it worse when I ask myself why I thought this is a good idea.

I don't even know.

Why the hell did I make a life choice based on a dream again?

"So what's Vale like then," Yang asks. "You still haven't told me."

"I'm not sure what I _could_ tell you. For the most part it's something you'll have to experience yourself, but it's definitely a big place if that is any consolation."

"Oh yeah?" How many people live there?"

"About two million. The city is three hundred leagues in every direction from the centre I believe."

"Two million!?" Yang chokes out. I can understand why. That numbers enormous, I can't even visualise what that would look like. For her it must have been crazy. The tribe only held three hundred people after all. "How do so many people even live in the same place? How do they feed them? Look after them?"

River raises an eyebrow. "Curious aren't you? I must say I'm surprised."

I frown. What's that supposed to mean? It's the seconds time he's made a comment like that about Yang. And it's not just him. The other knights look like their surprised by my sister for some reason. Why is that?

"Well to answer your questions in order; firstly, as I said the city is big. Most citizens live in homes stretching far and wide over the land with a wall to separate them from The Vale's plains. Then there is the upper district that houses around five-hundred thousand. They're the ones you should concern yourself with your majesty: the richer families, the merchants, knights, landowners and the like."

"There's a separation?"

"Of course. Over the last few years it has gotten more apparent but it has been in effect for decades."

So it had been in effect when my mom was in power.

"That sounds…"

"Kinda weird." Yang says. "Putting people into different levels like that."

"It could be different from your… tribe, yes." River nods. "I assure you it is not an issue for most. It is just the easiest way to keep order. If you could imagine what a commoner would feel living close to someone with so much more immense riches. The envy could become something more criminal."

That makes… a sort of sense, I guess.

"Okay, I get it." Yang nods. A grin spreads across her face suddenly and she leans over to the knight.

"So, if Ruby's going to be queen then she's going in live in Beacon, the castle right? What's it like?"

The knight chuckles. "I admit that I don't know myself."

"What, really?"

"Really. The truth is, very few are allowed to enter Beacon. When the queen was in power it was… slightly more lax, but often only nobles, advisors, ambassadors and other close confidant were allowed anywhere near the grounds."

"So they cut people off." My sister frowns. "Really?"

"Yes. I believe the council are the only ones with access to the palaces corners."

"That means this Ozpin guy's got a key to Ruby's home then, right?"

"…what are you suggesting?"

"Ah nothin'," Yang waves away. "Just thinking aloud. So, tell me about the rest of the city then."

"As you wish."

I feel myself tuning the man out. His voice begins to drone on as Yang listens intently. I don't feel the same way. I feel tired. The night of missed sleep is catching up on me. I yawn to myself, and nudge Yang a little, letting her know that I might doze off a little bit.

It's a silent request.

For her to watch over me in the presence of these knights that I didn't trust.

She grins. "Sure Rubes. Get some shut-eye. I'll tell you if you miss any juicy details alright?"

"Yeah," I yawn again, as my body sags. Okay, I knew I was tired, but I couldn't be _this_ tired could I? This almost felt unnatural.

Yeah… it was. Even with Yang watching me I shouldn't have felt safe enough to sleep near these men. So why was I…

It… it didn't matter. I just needed to rest a little bit. I'd just… close my eyes and… and sleep.

As soon as I do, my world is engulfed in red.

* * *

…

…

* * *

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

What… where am…

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

A dream. My vision is blurry but I feel the same sensation I had before. Of that dark weight bearing down on me.

I'm not in the wagon any more. I'm in the cave again.

Except… as I feel my sight clear it looks different.

No... this is a different cave.

It's bigger, more rocky and jagged and there's some light leaking in from holes in the ceiling. How, I'm not sure. Maybe it doesn't matter. This is a dream after all.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

I frown, standing up.

I'd been lying down hadn't I?

What is that sound? It's like something leaking, splashing onto the ground.

I shake my head. It feels as if there's a fog in my mind. It blurs everything together. What is… what is going on-

A thunderous howl cuts off my thoughts.

I feel my body go rigid.

It's that monster again. The one from last time.

It sounded close.

This dream…

This dream was the same, but different from last nights. Wasn't it?

Yeah, from where I'm standing it feels like it.

But is my older self still in this dream?

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

I blink. Wait a minute. That sound, it's coming from my right. So close now. How can I hear it clearly now?

I feel myself frowning again. It's curiosity that drives me to turn and face the sound, to at least know what it is, even as it irritates me.

I regret that decision as soon as I do.

This is- this-

"Y… Y…"

There's no way I'm seeing what I'm seeing. There's no way that the source of the dripping, the source of it being a sight that takes the breath from me, chills my blood and sends my heart into a frenzy is-

"Yang…?"

I can't even doubt it. As soon as I say her name the vision becomes clear.

I feel like I'm going to be sick.

It's Yang. My sister.

My bright, brave and brilliant sister.

Impaled on a spike of stone, with her lifeblood washing down it.

My hand's fly to my mouth, and I'm not sure if I'm trying to suppress the sickness in my stomach, or a scrap.

"O-oh gods! Yang no!"

The spire of rock holds her up, piercing through her back and bursting out of her stomach.

Her face is absent of warmth, of life, and instead is warped in a pale visage of horror and agony.

She died screaming.

"What is this!?" I choke out. I'm not sure who I expect to answer, but I beg for one. This is a dream. It has to be a dream, or a nightmare. I… I know it is, and it' the only way I'm managing not to snap, but there's something. A feeling, that makes this very, very real.

" _What is this!"_

"That's hard to explain."

I snap to the voice that answers my retching.

It's coming from the mouth of the cave, and I see a shadow cast front the red light outside.

And then I see her.

Myself.

That older version of myself from before.

She's not dead this time, but she looks like she's bleeding, heavily.

The scythe she drags along the grown is shattered, broken, and held by an arm in much the same condition.

The woman, this… older me, don't look at me. It's like her eyes are searching for me, even as I stand right in front of her now. She looks through me.

It feels so _wrong_.

"What are you?" Is the first thing that comes out of my mouth.

This, apparition of me don't smile, but her voice is filled with a bitter sort of humour.

"I think that ones obvious… or… maybe it isn't, who knows really. It took me a while to understand it at first, and I really don't know if I have time to explain it."

The woman's eyes drift to the side, to Yang, and she lets out a shuttering breath.

"I knew you'd be here…. But I hate it. I hate that I have to see this again from the other side."

"W-wha-"

"Listen to me." She cuts me off. "You need to push on to Vale no matter what. You need focus on the task no matter how daunting it looks, how impossible. You need to find Ozpin, he might be able to help sooner then."

"I don't unde-"

"I know you don't but listen to me. There is someone there, many people actually, who might be able to help you, but there is one above all others you need to trust. No matter how they seem, how they act, you can trust that they are good and noble. Trust the woman known as Weiss Schnee."

Weiss Schnee? I don't know that name. How can a dream tell me to find someone I've never heard of? This- this was the second time. It had been the same… the same with Ozpin."

"I wonder if you're beginning to get it." The bloodied Rose sighs. "Guess I won't find out… this is all I can remember of the talk… I can only leave you with a warning. You have to keep going. You have to prepare for this or… or Yang will end up like this."

My eyes are drawn once again to my sister's body.

My legs quake beneath me.

There is a howl, followed by a dozen more, hundred more.

The older Ruby sighs wearily.

"Well… I guess this is it… I can't go on any more… I'll just wish you good luck."

"Wait!" I call out as she turns. "I still don't understand what this is! You have to tell me!"

She doesn't answer me. It's like she can't even hear me now.

Had she ever been able to?

"Oh!" She stops suddenly, turning again. Her eyes miss me completely. "One more thing. When you wake up from your… nap, right? Well you have about five seconds to grab Yang and duck. Trust me, it'll probably be less painful for both of you tha-"

She doesn't get to finish, as a black shape crashes into her.

The older version of me screams in pain as blackened teeth sink into her flesh and _tears_ off her arm.

Her screaming is followed by the clawing of talons, paws, feet and more, drawn by her voice. She struggles and jams her broken shaft through the dark beasts head. It dies with a shriek and I watch with wide eyes as my older self scrambles up.

"Come on." She growls to the mouth of the cave. "You can at least make it a bigger effort to butcher me. Don't insult me before I die screaming."

I watch as she gets her wish, a sea of incomprehensible black and red crashes in, and the last thing I hear is the sound of her body being crushed as the darkness rushes into me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

I gasp as I bolt upright, in a way that people don't from nightmares in real life.

I take everything in around me in an instant:

It's dark. I'm on the wagon. The stars are out, we're on the outskirts of a forest and travelling slowly. I must have slept into the night. That would have been _hours_ since I close my eyes. My heart is raging and my lungs are burning. I must have made a noise because Yang and a few of the knights turn my way.

"Hm," my sister blinks, and I take that instant of time to take in how _alive_ she looks _._ "What is it Ru- H-hey!"

She doesn't get to finish as I lunge and drag her down.

And managed to duck under the arrow that stabs into the wood right here she'd just been.

We both freeze at the sight of it from our pile of tangled limbs, and for a brief moment it's like everything just stops.

And then River roars.

"Ambush!" he bellows as his sword comes free. "Archers to our right! Defend her majesty!"

It erupts into chaos from there.

I don't know what's happening in the moment. All I know is that Yang has come to her senses and has dragged me down into her shoulder as she takes cover behind the ridges of the wagon.

Arrows sail overhead and thunk dangerously against the wood.

The knights are barking out orders to each other as their steel whispers free.

Projectiles pelt against their armour, but don't pierce through. It does keep them rooted however.

"Bastards." River growls. "They're in the forest. I can't get a good look at them."

"What do we do?" Yang hisses as two of the knights break off to engage them.

River scowls. _"You_ will do nothing. Stay with her majesty and protect her if you must but do not fight. You'll be nothing but a target the way you are."

"But-"

She's cut off by an agonised scream.

River's eyes widen. "Oliver!"

"What's going on?!"

For some stupid reason I peak over the top of the wagon, and for a moment I see them;

Men; soldiers, about ten or twenty of them barrelling down on them with swords, clubs and maces.

Its dark, but I can see a heraldry on their chainmail. I can't make out the symbol, but it's enough of a clue.

Somebody sent these men to intercept us.

Somebody knew we were coming.

By the way River grit his teeth together he must have figured that out too.

"Miguel! Take the two girls and rush for the city!"

"We can't!" the younger knight cried out. "The roads have been caltroped."

"They what!?"

He can't say any more, because the soldiers are upon us now.

The Knights have the advantage of horseback for all of a second as their horses are impaled with a hail of arrows from above.

They have enough preparedness to roll to their feet however, and I see them raise their blades as they meet the onslaught.

I take in the carnage on both sides.

River wades through the danger with great swaths of his sword, slicing in ways I probably wouldn't have even thought practical. I was seeing what made them knights; how they struck at the gaps and chinks of the far less protects soldiers, how they cleaved through flesh and bone with incredible strength and brutality like it was nothing. I see how River caught a blade in one hand and used it to slice the throat of another in the same motion.

I see the blood spray high into the sky.

And on the other end of things, I see how dangerous the soldiers were not in their skill, but in their numbers and arsenal.

Their arrows, while not effective at harming the knights, slow them down enough for the men to get close, to bring down their maces and crack it against the heads of some of the knights, bringing them down.

And I see the mercilessness of the men, as they bring down their hammers and their clubs again, and again and again and again until they reduce their victims to a buddy pulp, a stain on the ground.

And then, I see how they're overwhelming the knights, and their attention turns to me.

I cry out barely quick enough as one man lunges at us and I fall back on the wagon as he climbs is way up, swiping at me with his sword the whole time.

Yang is on him before he even realises she's there.

Her knuckle dusters snap down on his head with a sickening squelch and spurt of blood asthe soldier collapses back onto the ground.

"Ruby! Get back!"

I can't even fulfil her order as something crashes into the wagon and my stomach turns as the entire thing _tilts_ all at once, throwing us out of it and onto the ground.

I roll, stars in my eyes. Did I hit my head?

I blink the fuzz out of my eyes just in time to see a man charging at me with a hammer raised above his head.

My feet move before my mind does and throw me back just in time.

The man misses me by I don't know how much, but too close for comfort all the same.

I'm off balance now though, and even if I wasn't, I'm not sure I would have been able to act in time as he gets ready to swing again.

River is there right as he does and with a roar, cleavers his sword through my attackers' arm, sending it skittering off into the dark as the man screams his last dying gasp. River snaps his neck as second later and drops him to the ground. He lunges forward and grabs Yang off the ground where she'd fallen, dragging her to her feet.

"Be on your guard girl." He barks. "These men are more vicious than any of my own. I don't even know what sigil they bear."

"Well they knew you'd be here!" Yang growls back. "Does that narrow it down?"

"No. Lord Ozpin would have told no one of this until he was sure you were in his safe keeping. I have no idea how it- look out!"

That was all the warning I got before a javelin is hurled at me through the dark.

I'm lucky enough that it skims past me, but in turn I miss the arrow that follows.

The one that slams into my shoulder and throws me back.

Pain.

That's the only word that registers for a moment.

Pain.

Then more.

A sharp pain. A burning pain. A screaming pain.

My eyes fill with tears as my fingers close around the arrow shaft lodged in my right shoulder. I don't even try to pull, it's stuck, caught on my flesh and even as I move I can feel it digging even deeper.

So…. This was what it felt like to be shot.

It was a feeling I wish I'd never had the chance to experience.

"Ruby!" Yang cried, kneeling over me with a terrified look on her face. "Oh my god Ruby!"

My throat feels like it's as dry as the desert in the moment, but I need to speak.

"U-up." I gasp. "G-get me up."

"S-shit. Right." My sister nods, and she grasps my other arm, trying to lift me up.

The lightning that arcs through my shoulder makes me cry out, but she doesn't drop me. I feel light headed all of a sudden, dizzy, but I'm on my feet.

Just in time to see River take a spear to the gut.

"Captain!" one of the knights scream, before he too is impaled on a blade.

River isn't dead though, not yet, and he turns to us even as a sword slices through his arm.

I see his face, twisted in agony, and his eyes wide with desperation.

" _Run!_ " he hisses out. " _To the city! Get to the city now!"_

It's his last order, as one particular soldier is brave, or vicious enough, to plunge a dagger into his eye and finally bring him to the ground.

It's like something in my snaps at the sight.

"Yang!"

It does in Yang too.

Her hands light up in flames that spiral forward, engulfing the men before they have time to move.

They scream as Yang's magic washes over a good dozen them and lights up the night.

It scorches the ground, burns the air and sizzles their flesh in what I can only imagine is their torturous last moments.

But what's more important is that it builds a wall of fire between us and them.

It's our chance to run, and we take it.

We run.

Into the night.

As fast as we can.

Towards the city of Vale.

* * *

...

 **I'm back! It's a new year and a not so new me. I hope you all had** good **time over the break if you were lucky enough to get one, we're getting right into it and already Ruby's run into a problem, go figure. They'll be fine right? Running away should be easy.**

 **Guess we'll have to wait and see.**

 **On a different** note **I'm glad at least a few people know what Summer Rose Court is, it's a fantastic little visual novel that you can download for free so I encourage anyone who hasn't to do so. Other than that, more support for Pollination and a lot less dislike than I thought. Maybe I was a little too worried about it. Maybe the RWBY fandom is a lot trashier than I expected, maybe We all just like it as a guilty little** ppleasure **. Whatever the case, I'm glad people are liking it so far. Here's hoping that will continue, let me know what you think** of **course, I'll be happy to talk about anything you might wonder about, provided I can of course. Until the next chapter, I hope** this'll **be enough though.**

 **Have a good one.**


	4. Act 1: Part 3

_**...**_

 _ **Act 1**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _Tell me lad, do you know why we arm ourselves in these times of peace? Do you know why we don armour as we do? Why we grasp at steel and train to fight, to kill in a time we hope we should not? Look upon our people, and ask yourself that question. If you find the answer there, know that you look upon the wrong people. Instead, look above, to those who hold our fates, and ask why you ponder such a thing instead of giving grace._

 _-Words of demurral from a Veteran knight to a squire_

 _Run._

 _Run._

 _Run._

The words repeat over and over in my head.

My footsteps pelted heavier and heavier, faster and faster as I run through the dark.

I can't see.

I can't see where I'm going.

There's no light in front of me, nothing but a veil of darkness and-

And my visions going… I-it's gone fuzzy.

The arrow. The arrow in my shoulder is burning. It hurts. It hurts so much.

I can't stop though. Not with the sound of footfalls trampling the ground behind me.

The soldiers are chasing me.

They're screaming and shouting and with every second it's getting louder.

It's getting closer.

My sister is just managing to keep pace with me, looking back and forth between the soldiers and me. Her breath is frantic, panicked as she barrels forwards.

"Come on!" she pants. "Move faster. Some of them are already through the fire!"

I am well aware of that. They'd been slowed down by the last few knights and Yang's flames but they hadn't given up. They were still fully intent on killing us.

Killing me.

"We still have a chance." I hiss as I hop over a stone. The terrains started to get a little more jagged. We're leaving the roads far behind us now. "They're all wearing armour and have weapons. They're slower than us, and they have light. That makes it harder for them to see farther away in the dark."

"And?"

"We just have to get far enough away to hide!" I explain. "If- if we can do that we can lose them."

"Right. Yeah, yeah okay." Yang nods to herself. "That's it. That's the plan then."

"Just keep straight!" I call. "If we get separated then-"

"Not a chance!" my sister growls. "You stick by my side no matter what!"

I'd know that response was coming, but right now, there were more important things than feeling good about it. "Yang we need a plan if you do go a different way. Meet up at the city in case we-"

"I said it's not happening!" She growls, flames igniting in her palms as she throws them back. They splash onto the ground unnaturally, pooling out across the ground.

Soldiers cry out as it blocks their path, giving us a few precious seconds. It would be enough if I can't think of something.

Fortunately, it comes to me.

"Yang! Throw a wall of fire up in front of us."

"What?" she cries. "Why the hell would you want to block our path?"

"Just do it, I've got a plan."

She takes one more look behind us and swears under her breath, the next, she's hurling a stream of flames just a few feet in front of us. Like she said, it blocks off our way straight forward.

But that's fine.

"Come on!" I say, taking her hand and dashing to the side, off the jagged path into the forest undergrowth. It's not much, but when they get past the last barrier, they'll see the one Yang had just put down. If they assume it's just another one to block them, they'll think we've kept running instead of veering off.

"We'll let them go past us." Yang realises with a gasp, rushing forward with a burst of speed. We run and run and run, through the trees as the cries and yells of men get further and further away. I'm not sure they've taken the bait, but it doesn't matter. As long as they didn't see us break off we can get away.

Once we get out of the forest though…

"Ruby, here!" Yang calls, pointing to something I can't make out in the dark and running off to the right. I follow, and let out a yelp as the ground beneath me is suddenly gone. My sister catches me before I can hit the ground and pulls me close under the ridge as she ducks down.

Quickly she reaches out and pulls at branches and leaves, rotting logs and bushes to cover up the opening and pulls herself back against the mossy wall, panting heavily.

In that brief pause, I notice that I am too, but not because I'm tired.

"Y-yang." I whisper, calling for her attention desperately.

Her eyes flicker to me, and her eyes widen as she can see my state even in the dark.

"Shit Ruby, you're pale!"

"T-the arrow," I struggle, senses returning to me as the adrenaline wears off and I'm greeted by the pain once again. "I-it's deep."

Yang grits her teeth. "Fuck, I was supposed to make sure nothing happened to you and I already screwed it up. _Fuck!"_

I want to tell her it's not her fault, that there's no way she could have predicted an ambush on the road, but the words die in my throats. All I can think about is the burning in my shoulder.

Yang notices.

"Alright," she hisses through her teeth. "We need to do something about it… now."

"W-we can't take it out." I swallow. "Dad told us about this, how they catch on muscle and pull it out with them if you do."

"Ruby we can't just leave it in there. It's a literal arrow lodged in you."

"If you pull it out then you could cripple me."

Yang is silent for a moment, so silent that nervously, I look up. And see a dark look in her eye.

"… then we have to push it the rest of the way through."

I rear back in horror. "No!" I hiss. "No way, not a chance that's- that's crazy!"

"We can't leave the arrow there Ruby."

"You're not a surgeon Yang!" I say. "You have no training or even a clue how to do something like this!"

"Well what choice do we have!" she snarls back at me furiously. "If we leave it in it'll get infected and you die. I'm _not_ letting that happen do you understand me? I'll hold you down and do it that way if I have to!"

I feel my throat go dry. She would too. Yang would hold me down and work through the kicking and screaming if she thought it would work.

We might be able to get to the city, but like Yang said, with an actual arrow lodged in me that was likely a bad idea. At best I'd have to break it so it couldn't be seen, covered or something. But if I did that then the arrow could get stuck in there even more… it… it could just be a temporary thing. If Yang could push it out I could wrap it up, get to the city and find a doctor that way.

But if I couldn't even make it that far…

"I-" My tongue feels heavy in my mouth. "I'll need something to bite down on."

Yang's face softens at my words,and morph into a look of sympathy.

I don't need that right now. If she doesn't hurry up I might chicken out.

She sees that and nods. "Right… well I… I don't really have anything for that."

"What? You want me to use a branch?"

I mean it as a joke to try and lighten the mood,but the look Yang sends me means she's considering it. I realise a moment later that so am I. I steady my breath. "Just try and get a clean one."

"Right." She says, crawling out of the ridge to go look for one.

It leaves me alone for just a minute, but even that is enough for half a dozen scenarios to run through my head.

I could go into shock and die. I could move too much and tear my arm apart. I could bleed to death even if we get it out. There are so many ways I _could_ die from this that it's almost funny. I'm almost in hysterics.

I think the only thing stopping me from going nuts from the thought is another one.

That older me, Rose, had known about this. Did that mean she'd known about me getting shot? Did that mean I was going… to be fine?

No. No of course not. How could I trust a delirious dream on how my life would end?

I don't get an answer to that question as Yang comes back with a shard of bark. "It's the best I could find." she says. "Sorry."

I swallow. "It's fine." That's a lie, but it doesn't matter. "We-we should hurry up and do this."

"R-right. You should… lay down maybe."

I do as I'm told, ignoring the way my shoulder spasms as my back falls against the ground. The wood is between my teeth a moment later and I look up at my sister.

Yang looks nervous.

That assuredness from before is gone. I think she probably realises just what exactly she has to do now.

Her hands hover over the arrow. A second passes.

Then another.

And another. I blink. What is she doing? Why is she not doing it yet?

I speak through the bark. "Yang wa-"

 _Snap._

A shriek rips through me as Yang grasps my moment of unpreparedness and breaks the shaft in two. I wasn't ready, and so when it happens my teeth clamp down hard. So hard on the wood I feel them rattle. I think they might actually break for a second.

A panicked look spreads across Yang's face and she curses. "I'm sorry." She tells me. "I shouldn't have done it so fast. Shit."

I'm barely listening.

That was just the start.

That…. That wasn't even the hard part. All she did was break the thing to make it easier and I almost lost it.

I can feel the pit in my stomach widen into an abyss.

The rest is going to be so much worse.

Gods.

"Alright, alright," Yang mutters to herself. "I can do this. We can do this. We-I just need to focus. You hear me Ruby? It's going to be fine. When I start I'm not going to stop until it's over. You hear? You just…you just have to bear with it until it's over."

I screw my eyes shut. I'm afraid to speak now, so I just nod my head once.

It's a signal.

Yang takes it.

She moves, practically straddling me as she takes a solid hold of my shoulder with one hand, her other over the wound and she puts one thumb on the broken shaft.

And she pushes down hard.

And any semblance of strength I had is ripped away from me as a scream does the same.

I scream.

I scream as I bite down so hard the bark between my teeth snaps in an instant and I shake like a dying animal, agony erupts from my throat.

I scream and scream and scream as my body does everything it can to fight off the pain.

No.

Not pain, the one causing the pain.

My vision blurs and I can feel wetness on my face and through the haze I can't tell if it's my own tears, or Yangs.

She's crying. She's crying as she does it and pushes harder.

I'm writhing, kicking, thrashing and flaying with everything I have even if I don't want to.

No I do want to.

I want Yang off of me. I want her to stop. I _need_ her to stop.

She's too heavy. I can't move her. That strength of hers is coming in handy now as she forces herself to sit on top of my struggling form.

My shoulder's wet now. Wetter than it was before. As Yang pushes down, my bloods starting to pool around her thumb and I can hear the sickening squelch of my flesh as if it was right next to my ear.

I can't do this.

"Stop!"

I scream. "Yang please just stop! I can't do this anymore please!"

She ignores me,

And pushed down harder. Her entire digit's probably lost in my flesh now.

"STOP!"

I scream louder. It might even be loud enough that the knights can hear it.

I think Yang might know this too, because she takes the hand that was holding me down and uses it to cover my mouth. It also has the dual purpose of muffling my begging so _she_ can't hear it.

It's the right choice. I know it. But I don't care.

It leaves my good arm free. And I use it as best I can, pelting my fist into her side, using her lack of leverage to lash out with my knee, as hard as I can, as desperately as I can.

"Yang." I cry from behind her hand. "I can't do this anymore. I can't do it I can't Stop Please I can't-"

I think I lose track of time. I distinctly realise that I don't know anything else is going on around me. I don't take it in. All I can feel is an agony that takes everything from me.

I can hear Yang voice through it all.

"Just a little bit me Ruby." She tells me. "Just a little bit more and it's over I promise."

Liar. She's a liar.

This is never going to end. She's going to keep hurting me. Even when the arrows gone she's going to hurt me some more. Is she enjoying it? Is Yang enjoying the way she's hurting me? She must be. She must be because I asked, begged her to stop and she didn't. She must like hurting me like this. Somethings building in me. It hurts so much — this indescribable feeling of torture.

That's what this is.

Torture.

It's torturing me. Bringing my mind to the end of everything.

I can't- I can't-

And in an instant

I feel something push through.

"It's over Ruby." Yang tells me. I… can hear her from… somewhere. Where… where am I again? Why… why is everything so dark? Like I'm suffocating.

I… can feel something new now. It's cold…. My shoulder… it feels cold.

Oh… there's a hole in it. Isn't there?

Something's stroking my head. There's a hand, wet with… something, my… something of mine. It's staining my hair with something but it just keeps running over me.

"It's okay now Ruby. You're going to be okay."

Good.

"That's… good."

Yes, it is. Now I can… if I can just get some rest, I'll be fine.

So when the darkness creeping at the edge of my sight closes in around me, I welcome it.

And let myself fall into the abyss.

There are no dreams.

* * *

…

…

* * *

The first thing that hits me is how… heavy I feel.

That's what it is. I'm not sure what exactly's going on. I know that… I'm still alive. I must be, because the afterlife shouldn't have pain in it right? I should feel as if my arms about to fall off, or that my skins about to melt.

A groan escapes my lips, and I can feel how dry they are. My throat is like a desert.

"Ruby! thank the gods you're okay."

"Wh…" I moan. For a moment it's as if something stops, and it must have, but either way I force myself to open my eyes. I crack them open feebly and shut them again as the sunlight bombards my senses.

It's daytime then.

We made it through the night.

But… we aren't in the forest anymore. I can hear it. There are people around us, talking, yelling, saying things I can't make it out. It feels as if I'm underwater.

"Yang." I force out in a whisper. "Where are we? What… happened?"

"You were out Rubes," My sister tells me, her voice filled with exhausted relief. Had she been awake all night? "I couldn't wait until you woke up. I wasn't sure if- it doesn't matter. We're right outside the city."

"We… we are?"

I open my eyes again, forcing myself to deal with the piercing light from above as my sigh focuses.

I'm met with a wall.

That's what it is.

A big, stone wall a few dozen feet high, and an opening archway to my left.

Around it is a swarm of people, some entering, others leaving, and many more all around the edges of the wall itself. It's… it's the entrance. We're at the entrance of Vale!

"We're here."

"That's right sis." Yang grins. "We're here. I carried you all the way here."

Oh.

That… would explain why I didn't feel like I was standing.

Yang was carrying me in me in her arms.

Had she been doing that ever since I fell asleep?

And…

"Why-" I swallow. "Why am I so hot?"

The blonde's grin falters for all of a second. "Don't worry sis. You're okay. As soon as we get in we'll find a doctor that can help you out."

"Why aren't we in now?"

She hesitated. "We ran into a problem." Yang tells me.

"Since…. Since we don't have River with us we can't just walk in. There are guards at the gate and I don't know if they won't just kill us if I tell them who you are… we have to wait in line like everybody else."

"A line?"

"Yeah." She nods. "Don't worry though. We're almost to the front. I've already been here for the last hour waiting."

"You never liked waiting."

"Nope, but right now I don't have a choice. Can't start anything with you in such a bad shape."

"I thought you said I was fine."

"You are. You will be."

"Right." There's no point in arguing. Honestly even if there was I didn't have the energy for it. "So what do we do?"

"Can you stand?"

"I don't know." I admit. "I should probably try to anyway."

"Right," she nods, shifting me in her arms for a second before slowly setting me down. She keeps one of my arms – my good one – slung over her shoulder as my feet touch the ground. "You okay?"

"I… I'm not sure." My legs don't feel strong enough to hold me up. They're almost numb. No, wait, they _are_ numb. And they're wobbling, like if I put any more of my weight on them they might give out. It doesn't help that since Yang's so much taller than me that I'm off balance.

"I don't think I'll be above to move on my own."

"That's fine," Yang speaks softly. "I'll help you then."

"…'kay" is all I can respond with.

I don't say anything as Yang leads me forward slowly, careful not to make it more uncomfortable than it already is. Speaking of.

My eyes flicker over to my shoulder. It's… wrapped in red-stained cloth. "What's this anyway?"

"Huh?" Yang blinks. "Oh, I uh… didn't have any bandages on me you know? And you were… there was a lot of blood. It's not great I know, but I'm hoping it'll do until we can find somebody to do it properly."

I look at her, then back to the wrapping. It's… not bad. Functional at worst, and if it managed to keep me from bleeding out then I guess it did it what it was supposed to do.

"It's a good job." I tell her. " _You_ did a good job."

"… I guess that's supposed to fill me with some sort of pride or something isn't it."

"It doesn't?"

"… It does. That's the part I don't like."

I'm not sure what she means by that, and I'm about to ask her to explain when we come to a stop in front of two men at the gate.

There are more speaking to other people trying to enter, but two are in front of us.

I doubt they miss the state of me.

"What is this?" One of the men asks us. He looks about middle-aged, with a thick beard spilling out over his chainmail. He has a halberd as his side but he doesn't seem like he intends to use it just right now.

"We were ambushed," Yang tells him, and for a moment a lance of panic shoots through me. She quells it quickly. "Bandits came out of the woods. Shot my sister, she- we need a doctor, somebody to help us."

The man swears, but he doesn't look angry at us, he takes a step towards us and I feel Yang tense. He doesn't notice and raises a hand to inspect my injury.

As soon as he lays a hand on it, I can't suppress the whimper that escapes me. Yang looks like she might lash out at him but he pulls back before she can.

"Bloody whoresons." He spits to the side, before turning to his fellow, a younger looking man with dirty blonde hair. "You'll need the right man for a wound like that. It was an arrow wasn't it?"

"Yes sir. We- I had to push it all the way through."

His eyes shoot up to my sister, some look of shock in his eyes. "Gods." He nods to himself. "Right then, Dove, where's the nearest Surgeon?"

The younger man thinks for a moment, eyes flickering to me as he does so. "There… there's this one on Ricks Street, just go west as soon as you pass the gates and you'll be on it, then go the whole way up until right before the well. There'll be a sign there it let you know. It's a good one for emergencies.

The older guard nods. "You got that?"

Yang nods.

A pause. Something… something flickers past his eyes as he looks at me. I'm not sure what it is, maybe I should, but I think I'm losing it a little. All I can notice is that it feels… familiar.

"You got any money?"

"A little bit sir." She says. "I can pay for it."

"Blast that." He spits to the side, looking to me. "If I let a girl like you go hungry because you had to pay for a sawbones I wouldn't be able to eat tonight."

Yang makes to speak, but her jaw drops a little when he fishes out a gold coin and hands it to her.

"Here. This should be enough for the doc to do what he does."

"I-I-" She stammers, I can tell why. Someone just up and giving two strangers' money definitely isn't something we were expecting. "T-thank you sir."

"Go on." He tells her. "Get the lass some help."

I don't hear whatever Yang reply's with as she lifts me up again, letting me walk seemingly forgotten in favour of getting to her newly designated location.

It's a good thing too, because my inability to hear her words isn't just a fluke or me ignoring her.

I'm… starting to feel tired again. I… don't know what's wrong with me. I think I'm losing it. I feel really… really cold.

That's strange right? I'd felt like I was burning up just a few minutes ago, and now I felt like it'd been dipped in a lake and left out in the winter.

"Move it!" My sister growls as she barrels her way through the crowds of people minding their own business on the streets. "Outta my way!"

Why am I so weak right now anyway? Yes it was painful but… it's just a shoulder wound. Those aren't fatal right?

I should be able to walk at least. Come to think of it… I guess it's a shame. My first time in Vale and I', missing most of it in a haze.

I feel us suddenly come to a stop and my sister bangs on a door. Are we there already? Did I black out of something?

"Hey!" she yells. "Open up! Is there a doctor in there? We need your help!"

A voice answers from behind it as something rustles closer. "I'm a surgeon actually. If you're going to use my services then-"

The door opens and the speaker trails off at the sight of us. Of me.

I note that the surgeon the man at the gate had been referring to was a woman, not a man.

"In. now." She orders, taking one look at me and opening the door fully. "Quickly."

Yang does as she's told, rushing me in and following behind the woman.

"On that table, now. Step away when you're done."

"Y-yes ma'am." Yang answers. So close to a solution she's getting nervous. She sets me on the table in the middle of some room before moving back against the wall.

The surgeon-woman is rough as she unfastens the cloth on my arm. She sees it, the wound, and swears. Her eyes flicker up to my face. "Can you hear me?"

I bob my head. "Dizzy." I say. Am I? I'm not even sure.

"Gods." She shakes her head. "What even happened?"

"Arrow," Yang tells her from her corner. "She was shot."

"I can see that." The woman scowls as she moves me a little. I whimper in pain. "I mean what _happened_ to the arrow? Why is there a bloody hole through this girl?"

"I- I pushed it out."

"What?!"

Yang and I both flinch at the woman's voice. She sounds furious all of a sudden.

"I-I-" My sister stutters. "That's what you're supposed to do isn't it? Push instead of pull?"

"Done by a doctor yes!" the surgeon cries. "You should have left it in! Do you know how much blood this girl has lost now because of you?"

"I…" Yang looked down at me with a panicked expression on her face. "I didn't know. It's… it's just a shoulder wound. It couldn't be that bad could it?"

The woman growled under her breath as she moved, reaching for some bandages, and some metal tools I didn't know the name of.

"Do you know what's _in_ the shoulder?" she questioned. "The subclavian artery, the brachial artery or even just the brachial plexus, not to mention all the damage that can be done to the joints, the bone or just the tissue."

"I don't-"

"She could bleed out!" she snapped. "She could lose the functi0on of her arm, bleed to death, or lose it all together and _then_ bleed to death, especially since you took out the only thing that was _keeping the blood in_!"

She would have gone on. Yang was looking more and more distraught. She… she actually looked like she was on the verge of tears again. Yang crying wasn't something I was used to. It wasn't something I wanted to see again so soon.

"Stop." I moan, pulling at the surgeon's sleeve. "Leave… her…"

The woman's eyes flicker to me, down to where I'm holding her. It's the same arm that's been damaged. Her lips twist downwards, but she doesn't look as angry as she just had. She took a breath. "Why didn't you just leave the arrow in?"

"…"

Her face twists. "There's something to this isn't there?"

Neither of us answer.

She swears again. "Excellent. Absolutely fantastic." She looks down at me. "You had best hope you can afford my services girl, else I'll have you working off your debt. And it'll be a big one."

Yang's face lights up with newfound hope. "Does that mean you can-"

"We'll see." She snapped. "You're to do everything I say, understand? You left this late enough that I'll need an extra pair of hands."

"Yes! Just tell me what I need to do!"

The woman eyes narrow. I think she's looking for something in my sister, and though I'm not sure what it is, I think she finds it. "Call me Peach."

After that, they get to work.

I'm lucky I can't really tell what's going on around me, because I know if I could I'd feel the same pain I had before.

Probably not as bad, but still enough to make me scream.

All I can make out is shapes. And the feeling of hands gliding over me.

I feel something cool against my skin as it begins to heat up, and something pressing into the hole in my arm. They're… doing something.

I'm not sure how long exactly has passed, but I know that I fade in and out of consciousness a few times.

Yang looks more and more exhausted every time I see her.

But more and more determined too.

I don't know what it is, but I don't feel as worried as I had before.

And then, for a single moment, everything stops. I can hear Yang's breath, laboured.

"Did… did we do it?" She asks, wiping a red hand across her forehead. "Is she going to be okay?"

Peach sighs. "Yes, I believe so long as we-"

She gets no farther as the door behind them is suddenly smashed in.

"Don't move!" A man barks as he and a dozen armoured guards rush through the door. "Submit quietly or suffer the consequences!"

Peach rears back in shock. "What is the meaning of-"

Yang's already moving.

Her fist crashes into the jaw of the man who'd spoken and it erupts into chaos from there.

In my haze I can just make out Yang's movements.

The room is too cramped for all the men, a blessing for her sister, who knocks down two more men as the rest pull out their clubs.

Clubs, not swords.

They intend to take us in.

I can't keep up. Somewhere along the way Yang had gotten her knuckledusters on and let out a snarl as she grappled with a guard that dived for her.

While she was occupied however, two more made a move of the surgeon and me.

"Wait!" she cried. "You can't move her like this!"

They ignore her, one of them grabbing her arms roughly and twisting them behind her.

There's a clamp of something that I can't see and suddenly there's a hand reaching down for me.

"Don't touch her!"

It's not there for long, because Yang snaps the man's arm under her fist when he tries to take me.

She spins to me. "Ruby, are you okay? We need to-"

She's cut off as someone barrels into her back, dragging her down with a cry as three more follow.

Yang struggles and rages against the guards holding her down but I don't think that even she can fight off so many of them now.

A small part of my mind reminds me that this is exactly what I was afraid of; people from the city, here to kill me, or take me to people who would. I… think I'm a little disappointed in myself though.

I let River down.

* * *

…

…

* * *

" _ **I wonder, is falling asleep going to be a regular thing for us now?"**_

I don't wake up in a comfortable position.

I feel as drained as I had before. My skin feels flush and my breath is ragged.

I… I'm more lucid now, I think, but that doesn't really do me any favours when the aching in my shoulder returns, and it does, in an especially bad way with my arms forced behind my back.

"W-what?"

I cough. There's cold steel biting into my wrists. Shackles, keeping me locked on a wooden chair in the middle of a dark room with no windows and a single, iron door in front of me.

My breath quickens as I come to the realisation that-

I'm in a cell.

I'm in a cell! I've been locked up! They caught me caught-

My eyes widen and I look around. I see nothing but blank stone walls.

"Yang!?" I cry out. "Yang?!" I don't know if she'll hear me. I don't even know if she's _nearby_ but I call out all the same _._

The last thing- the last thing I saw of her wasn't pretty. Did they hurt her? Was she in a cell right now like I am or-or did they do something to her?

Oh gods. If Yang fought back like she did then they could have-

My thoughts are cut off before they can spiral by the sound of a heavy metal bar being drawn back.

It's coming from in front of me.

It opens with a creak and I see an armoured figure walk in. I swallow heavily.

They look very similar to a knight.

There's something different about it, but I can't tell what right now, because I can't look away from those eyes.

Frigid blue eyes that cut all the way to my bone, and hair so white I almost mistake it for snow.

The door closes behind the figure. The woman.

And suddenly.

I realise.

This… this isn't a normal cell.

It's an interrogation room.

And I have the sinking feeling that I'm about to be subject to questioning.

* * *

...

* * *

 **The Ice Queen us here, praise be!**

 **Or... not? She doesn't seem all too friendly right now does she?**

 **Guess we'll have to wait and see how that turns out. Poor Ruby though, you'd think she'd get a break.**

 **How do you think this'll go then? Let me know.**

 **On another note, Volume 6 has ended. Now, I know I'm just some guy on the internet, so it's not like you care to hear a review from me or anything on the subject, but for me, favourite Volume so far.**

 **Aside from a few wonky bits of pacing and a slightly underwhelming finale I loved every moment. The second might just be because none have lived up to the intensity and Hype of V3 though. That to me was the best finale. V4 had some of the best individual moments I think but Overall, V6 was fantastic.**

 **...Now we just have to wait until October for the next one.**

 **Ugh...**


	5. Act 1: Part 4

_..._

 ** _Act I_**

 ** _Birthright_**

 _Sometimes, we go a little too far for the Kingdom, don't you think? I'm fine with the killing if it means protecting, but when it comes to tearing off their fingernails, or burning them in their houses, don't you think the council has just a little too much power? …Aye, I know, such words could come back on me, but honestly, I've lived long enough under their boot to speak my misgivings, if they have dissidence with my words, they can right it themselves._

 _-Words of Ser Rouge, days before his body was recovered from the cisterns._

 _..._

A cold chill runs up my spine, and I'm not sure whether it's real or not.

My heart is pounding in my ears and I'm doing all I can not to shake.

It's not going well, but I'm hoping the fact that I happen to be wrapped in bandages from an arrow wound makes it look more like I'm in pain than terrified.

Even if it's a fair amount of both.

The thought of my shoulder does remind me though, of the woman who'd helped us. Peach.

I try to meet the knight's eyes, but she's moved from her spot.

She's moving, encircling me in my seated position, like a predator.

Every time she walks behind me, that chill returns.

I swallow. "The… the doctor." I murmur. "She… she's not in trouble, is she?"

No answer. I wait, for what must be a good thirty seconds for a response.

Nothing. All I get from this woman is the sound of her heels clicking against the floor.

A hysterical part of my mind asks why a knight is wearing heels. They're built into her armour purposefully.

And still hasn't answered me.

I'm not sure if it's panic or anger that flares up in my chest, but it gives me enough courage to ask another question, even if only a moment

"Where is my sister? What happened to her?"

The woman doesn't stop her circling, but I see her head tilt to the side ever so slightly. It makes her hair sway a little, it draws my eyes. Who has hair this white? She… she doesn't look old, so I don't really even have an idea of it could be. It's tied up though, in a sort of ponytail that comes for to the side.

Why I'm noticing this? I don't know! Maybe the blood loss is still taking its toll… maybe I'm just losing it. Or maybe I'm still waiting for her to _speak_!

"Tell me!" I plead. "Just- just tell me if Yang is alright."

"Yang."

The knight finally spoke, and I find out that her voice is just as cold as everything else about her.

"When she was asked for her name, her response was a choice selection of words. She hasn't been very cooperative. I'm expecting you to be more so, lest you end up like her."

I stomach drops.

"Y-you- what did you do to her?!"

"She would not answer the questions," the knight shrugs. "She was punished for that."

My voice catches in my throat. "You killed her." I whisper.

My horror is only put on pause by the look the knight gives me. As if she thinks I'm an idiot.

"She was reprimanded with a beating." She corrected.

It does a little for my fear, but the answer spikes my anger instead. "You beat my sister!? What's wrong with you!?"

"She is a criminal," the woman dismissed. "She was treated as such. If she had been more respectful, if she had not injured the men under my command when they took her in, she would not have received such a punishment."

"She was protecting me!" I snapped. The fear I have for her is still there, but the image of Yang hurt, on the orders of this person in front of me is enough to smoulder that feeling in rage. "You attacked my sister because she was trying to keep me safe!"

If my raised voice or the tone of it has any effect on the knight, she doesn't show it. She regards me coldly. "You were to be taken in peacefully. My men report that it was your _sister_ that threw the first blow.

I bit down on my retort. That… that wasn't wrong. From what I can remember that was exactly what happened. But considering the danger it could have brought, to both of us, and what we'd just been through not hours before, I didn't feel one bit apologetic.

Instead I feel a growl build up in my throat. My shoulder is starting to throb now. "I was bleeding on a table. She was panicking. I was scared and she was scared _for me_. Those men burst through the door and armed. She was protecting me."

She rolled her eyes at me. "A likely story I'm sure. But now that you have brought it up, let us _speak_ about your injury.

I can't even reach at she reached out and clamps one hand around my wounded shoulder, her fingers digging into the bandages.

I let out a shriek at the contact and she lets go with a hum. "A real injury to be sure. That at least, you have going for you. That does however raise more questions."

I don't respond. I can't through my panting. My skins slick with sweat now, and that throbbing from before is so much worse.

I want to call her so many things, none of them kind.

She doesn't seem to care, arms tucked behind her back she begins to pace in front of me.

"If you and your sister were simply fools trying to sneak into the city for free, if you had faked the wound to slip past the guards like so many urchins have tried, I would make you spend a night in a cell and throw you out the next day. It _is_ real however, and it begs the question of how you obtained such a thing in the first place."

I don't answer. I don't think she expects me to by the way she pushes on.

I'm not ready for her next words though.

And they make my blood run cold.

"Interestingly enough, we received word of happening on the road to Vale. Framers walking the path found a slew of bodies lain out, knights… it seems they were ambushed." Her eyes find mine, and I almost freeze over. "One would begin to question what exactly happened to them. And then you appear, seemingly wounded from one such similar event. Or perhaps that same one."

I stare at her in disbelief. She… she can't be-

"You think- you're saying that _we_ attack them?!"

"You," she confirms with a nod. "And whatever tribe you come from."

"W-what?"

"Don't try and act the ignorant fool!" she snarls, her face twisting into something so vicious I rear back in my chair. "This would be the perfect attack by you savages! You kill our knights, men who exemplify honour and chivalry in an ambush of all things and take what is theirs. Strip them of their arms and leave them to rot."

"That's not true!" I protest. "You're wrong!"

"Am I?!" she snaps at me, and I flinch back as I realise her hand has closed around the sword at her side. "You and your kin have always been a scourge to the kingdoms. This is just another thing you people, you savages, do to disrupt the order of things. You can try to lie but that arrow proves as much as anything that you were involved in such a skirmish. You mean to tell me some other happened at the very same time? That you weren't a part of it?"

She's wrong. She's so, so wrong, but worse, she's partly correct too, and in the panic that grips my core the words spill from me.

"It's not like that! It didn't happen like that-"

She latches onto my words in an instant. "So you confess that you were there!"

I flinch back. "Y-yes. I- we were there, but i-it wasn't like that!"

"Do you expect me to believe that? What other reason would there be for such a scene? Explain _that_ to me."

I freeze. My mind is racing with the sudden possibilities of what I might say, of what could happen when I say them. I don't know this woman. I don't know her at all other than the fact that right now she's furious. If she catches me lying, she-she might just draw her sword right here. And then whatever happens to Yang will be my fault. It's as if a hand grips my heart, as I realise the only option I have, is to tell the truth.

Damn it all.

Have a truly gone insane?

"I-" My voice cuts out for a second as I comprehend what it is I'm about to say. I can't believe I'm about to do it. But desperation wins through my fear, and my sense. "I was being escorted by those knights."

She stops. Her eyes sharpen as they narrow. "Escorted?"

"Y-yes," I stutter. "They- they came to my tribe, found us when we stopped and revealed they were searching for me. They were sent to bring me to Vale. I agreed, t-then on the road that knight were attacked by soldiers. They took the knights by surprise and outnumbered them. T-the man leader, River, he told my sister and I to run. I was shot then, and- and then we made it here."

"And why, would knights of The Vale escort a foreigner, an outsider like you to the city?"

I lick my lips. "Because… because they were ordered to bring me home." I screw my eyes shut as the next words leave my mouth, as the words River had spoken echo through me. "Because my name is Ruby Rose a-and… and I'm the true queen of Vale."

There I said it.

I said it, and ion the silence I'm left to realise what I'd just done. I'd revealed my secret. Something I'd been keeping hidden for years on end, my entire life, for the very fear of knights like this one cutting me down. I can only hope that she is one like River that she won't kill me, and even if she does that Yang will be okay.

When she speaks next, her voice is very, very different.

"So you seek to insult me."

I open my eyes, confused. Her tone isn't chipped with ice or anger anymore. It's just, very, very… flat.

"W-what?"

"Are you trying to make a joke of me?" She asks levelly. "Do you think I am some imbecile to believe something so ridiculous? That must be it isn't it? You, and your likely incestuous sister concocted some insane story to spew to any who would hear it. And you insult my intelligence by lumping me in with those dull enough to believe it!"

Her last word is roared, so furious and mad I almost fall back, my eyes go wide as she stalks forward and takes a clump of my hair in her hand. I cry out as she drags me up to eye level and my scalp burns.

"I'm going to squeeze the truth out of you." She growls cruelly. "I was being kind in simply speaking to you but it is clear to me now that you show no respect for my authority, nor the authority of Vale. I am finished being kind. If I have to, I will wring the truth out of you with my bare hands! Do you hear me? I'll-"

She's cut off as the iron door behind her shunts open.

She turns her head, the look of rage still present, but diluted at the sight of the newcomer.

A short, stocky man with a round belly, and hair white, this time rather more naturally from age.

"That's enough Lieutenant Weiss."

The woman, Weiss, looks up with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Pete- I mean, Captain Port! What are you doing here? I was just interrogating the prisoner but-" she gives a sharp tug of my hair. "She started spouting nonsense, about her being the queen no less."

"That was not nonsense." He said, gravely. "She speaks the truth. Release her from her chains."

There is a long, uneasy silence and when I steal the courage to look up at Weiss' face, it's very, _very_ , sickly pale.

" _What_?"

* * *

…

…

* * *

The next few minutes are a bit of a blur. The shackles are taken off and I'm led out of the interrogation room, into an office I can only guess belongs to this 'Port' man. It's warm and spacious looking, with a large mahogany desk.

It's… rather nice, considering the man also looks to have a bust of himself at the back of the room. Which I might have been worried about if he hadn't let me sit down and offered me some tea, which I accepted gratefully.

Yang was brought in a moment later and I barely got time to look at her before she crashed into me with a nearly bone-crushing hug.

She made sure to avoid my shoulder.

When we part though, I get a good view of what had happened to her in _her_ interrogation: she has red marks on her arms and legs, like she'd be lashed. There were bruises all across her neck and some peeking out from the back of her shirt, and it looks like she might have the beginnings of a black eye.

The idea that what the knight had told me as true, rolls my stomach uncomfortably.

Speaking of the knight, Weiss is in the room too. Off in the corner closer to Port with this far off look in her eye. She still looks pale. In fact, she looks like she doesn't know where she is.

I don't have it in me to feel any sympathy for her, and Yang seems to agree, more than that, the glare she aims at the woman is downright murderous.

Though…. Maybe it wasn't right to call her a woman. I can't tell exactly, but she… almost looks Yang's age. I mean, I could be wrong, but there it was. Perhaps it didn't even matter.

Either way, I'm happy so long as she stays away. Even if or some reason, the sight of her claws at the back of my mind.

Am I forgetting something?

What exactly is going on right now?

Oh, yes, this Port fellow is currently kneeling in front of me as I sit there with a cut of ta in my hands.

Weird that.

Yang is sitting beside me, a chair of her own and honesty she looks just as weirded out by it as me, but uh, interested?

I cough awkwardly. "Y-you, uh, can stand up now sir. You don't need to do all that."

"As you wish your majesty," he booms, standing up as requested and moving to sit at the other side of the desk. "And once again I beg your forgiveness in how you were treated. If I had been informed sooner of who you were I would have put a stop to it, but alas I just arrived back in time to be given your description."

I nod my head. He seems…. Well he's definitely loud, but he seems okay right now at least. And if he wanted he could have just let that Weiss girl do whatever she'd felt like. "It's not your fault." I tell him. "Like you said, if you had known it wouldn't have happened… I… well it's over now."

I lick my lips. "I'm… not really sure where to go from here honestly."

"Of course, of course." He nods. "Well how about we start by going over what really happened, yes? You spoke of an ambush."

"Y-yes." I swallow, eyes flickering to the knight. She stiffens when she realises I'm looking her way. "It's just how I told um… W-Weiss. River and his men were escorting us to Vale when we were attacked on the road. I… the soldier that attacked us knew we were coming and had some sort of symbol on their oats. It was a heraldry I'm sure of it, but I couldn't make out who it belonged to."

I go on to explain the rest as clearly as I can remember it.

The guard captain hummed, stroking his moustache with one hand. "Troubling to be sure… and… River. What of him?"

I can hear it, the question is a personal one. I look away.

"Dead. He saved me from one of them and held the rest back just long enough for my sister and I to make a run for it."

Port lets out a heavy sigh. "I see." There was a noise as he pulled open a drawer, and pulls out of it, a bottle. Of some kind of drink, likely alcohol. He pops it open and takes a swig. "I knew the boy when he was just a young lad. A knight fresh from squiring… he was good."

"I'm sorry." I tell him, but he shakes his head.

"Don't be. He rose up the ranks like he always talked about. He said he wanted to die a knight serving his kingdom once. He did one better in saving his queen."

I swallow. "I'm not the queen. Not yet."

"But you should be." Port countered. "That's why you're here isn't it?"

I nod, but when I realise he's expecting more, I look to Yang for help. She takes her glare off Weiss long enough to see it and explains. "He said his Lord; Ozpin or something, wanted us- Ruby – to come find him so he could help us. I guess he has a plan to give Ruby her house back or something."

I think I see Ports lips twitch upwards, but I can't tell under all that facial hair. "Quite. Ozpin… I don't know much about him personally other than what the lad Rivers told me. He said the man's secretive, but good."

"Hope so," Yang grunts. "Considering our decision to come here's been nothing but trouble so far I'd hope he has a plan." She sent another glare the Knights' way. "I'm not too keen on getting arrested while my sister bleeds out of a table."

It's enough to make the girl flinch. Those icy eyes looked panicked now, and flicker to Port.

"Why wasn't I told?" she blurts out

Yang blinks at the sudden question. "Eh?"

The other girl stares at her superior. "Why wasn't I told that- that there was a princess of Vale?"

"Are you serious?" Yang scoffed. "Did that seriously slip your mind?"

Weiss' eyes snap to me. "I-"

"It's not quite like that miss." Port interrupts.

We turn to him questioningly, so he continues, gesturing to Weiss as he does so. "You see. Dear Weiss is not… well she is not native to the Vale. She's from Atlas in fact, but came to Vale for-"

"For my own reasons." She interposes, a look I don't understand spreading across her face as I watch her. It's as if she's uncomfortable with the topic all of sudden. Port seems to recognise this and nods. "For her own reasons. As such, she's not as… I suppose you could say, informed on Valean topics."

I don't quite follow. "What does that mean?"

"Well, when you were born your majesty, the kingdom of course intended to have a great celebration, as it does with every monarch born child, usually a few weeks after birth. That never happened however."

Oh, right.

"…The Coup." I realise.

He nods again. "Precisely. You… well when her majesty passed it was assumed you had perished too, and that idea was enforced as the years went by. As such, while the denizens of The Vale knew of your existence as a fact, that same information because… fogy overseas."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that other kingdoms believed that the talking's of a Vale ruler were mere rumours to try and salvage our royal family's lineage. It stayed like that even to this day. The fact is that it isn't really believed that you ever truly existed anywhere outside of the Vale." He shakes his head. "Other kingdoms likely don't even mention you in their history books, and those born around the same time as you, or those still children are probably unaware if you. Like lieutenant Schnee."

"But," Weiss licks her lips nervously, eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Port, and sometimes even Yang "How could you know she- that _she_ is the princess?"

Port chuckles. "Because lass, her majesty is nearly the spitting image of the dear late queen. They look nearly identical, and past even that, there is something that only people of Vale royal blood can have."

She blinks. "There is?"

"Aye, Your Majesty, if you wouldn't mind, would you let the lieutenant take a look at your face."

"U-uh?" I grunt rather unintelligently.

"Only for a moment," he assures me. "I want to see if she can tell me what it is that's so special. It's not too hard to notice."

I'm… fairly sure I know what he's talking about. I don't _want_ to let her. Honestly I don't what to even breathe in her direction, but if I said no, it might be… well it would be rude, but also fairly awkward I'm sure, so I nod and turn to the knight.

It's uncomfortable looking at her after how she'd acted just minutes ago. It's even more uncomfortable with how nervous _she_ looks now.

"I-I," she stammers, looking to Port for help. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for."

"You've already seen it lass, I just need to hear you say it."

She swallows, and as if it's a physical strain on her, turns to look me in the eye.

As she does as our eyes meet and I stare into hers, that nagging sensation returns. There's something I'm forgetting. Something I shouldn't. I feel as if I should have already realised what it is. But right now I can't really focus. I mean, there's been a lot on my mind in just the last few days. From knights, to ambushes to getting shot to interrogation and those crazy drea-

…no.

No way.

Weiss.

 _Weiss Schnee._

This is the person my dreams told me to find.

 _This_ girl is supposed to be someone I can trust?!

Oh gods.

Was I all sorts of insane when I had that dream? Was my dream trying to screw with me?

No what am I saying? _How did my dream even know this person existed?!_

The realisation of just who this person is, causes me to rear back in some mix of shock and horror.

The knightess notices, but likely misinterprets it for something for more negative by the look that crosses her face. It's disgust, but I honestly can't tell who for.

"Well lass?" Port hums. "Do you know?"

"I…" she trails off and shrugs, looking more occupied thinking about the look I'd given her.. "I don't know. Her eyes are unique I suppose."

"Precisely!"

"Wait, are you… really?" she blinks.

"Yes," he says. "The silver eyes of the Vale's lineage have been a permanent and constant staple of their blood. Every child born from the Royal line has possessed silver eyes, and _only_ their line. It is unquestionable proof of her claim."

"…I… I don't-"

She looks away for a long moment, before taking a breath. When she turns back, she stands in salute to Port. "With your leave Captain, I… I would like to return to my duties."

He nods to her. "Of course lass. But, keep quiet about this will you? Those dastards who attacked her majesty might do so again." He blinks. "Oh! And that doctor that aided them. Make sure she is properly compensated for the trouble and stressed the importance of keeping quiet."

"…Yes sir." She swallows, and she makes to say something, but her eyes flicker to me, then to Yang, and she decides against it. She's out the door a moment later, and when it closes shut, Port leans back in his seat.

"Now then." He hums. "We must decide what to do with the both of you don't we?"

Yang crosses her arms over her chest. "Meaning what exactly?"

"The city as you know by now, isn't entirely safe for you. It can be dangerous enough depending on where you are as a normal person, but as the princess, your majesty, I understand that there are some that would… not be happy with your arrival."

I nod, well aware of that already. If those soldiers weren't proof enough as it was. "What do you think we should do then?"

"Well," he stands up, hands crossed behind his back as he peers out the window of his office. "I have a few things in mind for now." He explains. "You see, I'm the captain of the city guard here in the west region on the city. Because of that, I'll make sure my men report any activity that could be seen as active against you. That does however mean you need to stay here to benefit from that protection. I can offer you a place to sleep."

Yang perks up. "Really?"

"Of course." He bows. "It would be an honour and a privilege to offer my lodgings to the both of you." He chuckles right as Yang's face twitches. "And don't worry, I'll stay clear of it for the night. It wouldn't be couth to occupy it with both of you ladies there. "

"Eheh," Yang laughs apologetically, scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"It is only what should be expected of me. Additionally, the two of you haven't eaten since you left your home, have you?" He shoots us a knowing smile as our stomachs rumble as if he had summoned our hunger. "Well, let's fix that shall we?"

That sounds wonderful, and a couple hours later, I reaffirm that statement.

"Huh," Yang mumbles as she looks around. "Guess guard captains get paid well."

I can't help but agree as I look around the room we'd just entered.

It's a spacious place. I don't think it's called a house, no, I'm pretty sure those are even bigger, this is something Port called an 'apartment' which I guess is just a smaller home in a building shared with other people.

It's still pretty big either way, easily more than either of us need.

It's got a wide window on the other side, and the walls were painted a warm red.

Although.

"It uh… looks kind of tacky." Yang said.

Again, I agree. There was just… a bit too much gold trimmings. I doubted it was real gold either, else I'd say Port was a noble instead of a guard.

"Still," I say. "He's letting us stay here so we should be grateful."

"Oh yeah, no questions there, just saying." She looked around, down what looked like a small hallway. "Did he say there were two rooms?"

"Uh-huh. Apparently being a captain pays well enough. There's his and a guest room. Which one you wanna take?"

"Um, the guest room I guess," Yang shivers. "That'll be the room he hasn't slept in. You fine with that?"

"Sure." I shrug. "I really just want to sleep."

She sends me a worried look. "Nothing's wrong with you?"

"You mean apart from hurting all over? No, I'm fine… just… a lot of things happened today, you know?"

Yang frowned. "You're still thinking about that knight, aren't you?"

The look on my face is probably enough of an answer.

My sister gives an angry grunt. "Forget about that bitch, alright Rubes? She can't hurt you now, I won't let her. If she comes anywhere near us I'll break her face. You've nothing to worry about."

"…Thanks Yang. Goodnight?"

"Yeah, night sis."

We separate at our rooms, and I close the door behind me. I can see a pretty wide bed, a comfy looking thing, and a candlelight at its side. The curtains are pulled closed.

With nothing else to do, I undress and climb into bed.

Despite what I had said to Yang though, sleep does not come easily.

I sit with my back to the headboard, staring into the dark. My body feels like a stone, weighing me down. I'm… tired, but my thoughts are racing.

The throbbing in my shoulder hasn't left me either, and even if I try not to think about it, it reminds me of- just… everything.

Barely two days, and it's been a disaster. From being ambushed, to shot, to what I'm pretty sure nearly ended up as torture.

The idea is chilling even now.

I'd almost been tortured for information I didn't have, by a knight that didn't know me, didn't believe me even when I told her the truth.

So, yeah, I'm pretty sure I almost died today… twice.

Joy.

And all of that wasn't even addressing the biggest concern I had right now.

"Weiss Schnee." The name fills the silence of the room. I feel nothing from saying it. No great understanding, no realisation or… anything. It's a name, the name of the knight, yes, but just a name…

And yet…

A sigh escapes my lips and my head falls into my hands.

"Good and noble? Yeah right."

I was supposed to trust _that woman_ with my life? I wasn't even comfortable her knowing my identity. She might tell someone, someone who wasn't as kind as Port had been to me. She was vicious, cold and in the few seconds she's gotten angry at me, she'd been cruel. Common sense, _any_ sense, who tell me that she was someone I needed to stay away from.

My dreams had said otherwise.

"Ugh…" I groan, letting my head fall back as I stare up at the ceiling. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about this. Life decisions from dreams? Seriously?"

And yet, I'd already done that, hadn't I? I'd come here based on the idea that my dreams had told me to. They'd foretold events I shouldn't have known about. Ozpin, the ambush, even dropping the name of the knight, someone I had no reason to know.

There was enough evidence to merit the idea of _something_ going on.

And it was frustrating to realise I honestly didn't have a clue as to what.

But doing nothing wouldn't help. Staying awake when I couldn't leave the apartment was a waste. I needed to sleep, rest, so I could forget about everything for just a few hours.

That was the idea anyway, as I pull the blankets over my head, shutting everything out as I close my eyes.

Peace, just for the night.

Unfortunately, that isn't how things work out. I understand that, right as I fall into darkness.

And see red on the edges of my vision.

* * *

…

…

* * *

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

It's back.

 _I'm_ back.

I… I'm in the same cave, the same as before, and I can hear the sound of something dripping down the walls.

I know it's blood now.

I'm not going to look that way again.

Dreaming again, this… nightmare.

It's an insane thought, but maybe I'll actually get some answers from it this time.

With that in mind, I get on the move, down the tunnel towards the light, and after a moment, out of the cave.

And I see that sky, from the first time.

Red above, and the ground, a wasteland below.

But… hold on.

I… are these ruins? Of houses?

It looks like a village almost, laid out in front of me, but it's been ransacked. No, no not that. People ransack. Monsters… I'm pretty sure they just destroy things.

Speaking of monsters, I can see one.

It's not the beast from before, the one like a wolf.

This one had great black wings, and a beak, twisted and wicked. It looks almost as big as me, and with talons like that, I'm pretty sure it could slice me in two without much effort.

There's something underneath.

It perches on top of a corpse, some poor dead man with a face twisted in a visage of horror. They'd seen their death coming, and from the bloody hole on their back, I have a good guess as to what exactly it was. The shadow-like bird tore into the dead man's carcass, with a wet squelch it rips out chunks, gorging greedily.

I feel the back of my throat burn with bile. I think I might be sick just looking at it.

Gods. Is my stomach that weak?

No. It's the smell. I can actually smell it. It's like something's rotting, and I'm not sure if it's the man or the beast.

A shriek for above catches me off guard, and I nearly jump out of my skin as another of the things swoops down to feast.

I'm not paying attention to that one though.

I'm too busy staring at the hundred more circling in the sky.

"There's so many of them."

"Tell me about it."

My soul nearly leaves my body as I spin round. There, in the ruins of one of the desecrated houses still with a ceiling on it, was Rose, fit in her armour and Scythe dug into the ground as she leans against a doorframe.

Rose's eyes aren't on me, but the skies above. Still, her words are directed towards the only one who can hear them.

"They're vicious little creatures. Not even that big all things considering… most of the time anyway, but they attack in groups." A frown spread across her face as she looked at them. "Swarms? Flocks? Can I even use animal comparisons with them being the way they are?"

I bite my lip in annoyance. "Does it matter?"

"Probably not," she admits with a shrug, "But I've had a lot of time to think about it. A little tip for you though, most of them, and I mean all of the Grimm, have pretty bad eyesight. They sense you with some sort of magic instead. Used to work on me, doesn't anymore. Not really sure why."

My eyes flicker to the creatures still eating the man's flesh. They weren't too far away, barely a good stone's throw. Yet, they were acting like they didn't even see us.

Or, her. I'm still not sure how this works… Wait.

"Grimm?" I blink turning to her once again. She's already nodding.

"Yes, Grimm that's what I call them anyway. I'm not sure if they have a real name, but I think it suits. Don't you?" she turns to look at me.

Or through me.

"Don't answer that. I already know."

"I don't understand."

"Yeah you do," Rose grunts. "Or you will. Either way you'll find out so there's no point on wasting time on it. My memories are hazy on this talk at best, so let's get down to the important things, yeah?"

"And they are?"

"You've still got that shoulder wound, right?" She nods, motioning to… well the general area of it. "You have a little bit of a struggle ahead of you. Taking the throne isn't going to be as easy as just walking up to Ozpin and declaring yourself. Course you should still do that, you'll need his help, but you already know you'll have people after you. That's going to get worse, and you need to deal with some of the people who want you dead. They're in the council."

"Some?" I raise an eyebrow. "Not all of them?"

"Let's just say a few of them will be harder to expose than others. It's better if you can get some use out of them. They want to stay in power, if that means grovelling to you, they'll do it, at least for a while."

"Any in particular I should look out for?"

Rose's brow creases slightly. "Sorry. Can't remember. Damn. I promised myself I would after how frustrating it was for me to figure things out like this." She shakes her head. "Too much on my mind. Sorry."

"Um… apology accepted?"

"Yeah I already know that, still polite to say it anyway."

"So what _can_ you tell me?" I huff. There's a little bit of ridiculousness here, not just on how little help this older me is, but the fact that we're having this conversation under a blood red sky surrounded by monsters.

She hums. "Well, you need to take a look at your shoulder later. It's still a fresh wound. Make sure to keep it cleaned or you might get a stiff arm. I was warned about that one. Uh… Ozpin's got this friend, pretty scary woman but she's trustworthy, probably more reliable than him honestly. Oh! And don't accept food from nobles until after they make you queen; nine times out of ten it'll be poisoned."

"That's reassuring." I mutter.

"And one more thing," she says, her voice catching me off guard all of a sudden. It's… softer. Like her eyes. "Trust Weiss."

I feel my face twist but Rose ignores it- or, doesn't see it.

"I know what you probably think of that. Believe me, I did too at first. Weiss is… well you already know what she's like. A bit cold."

"That's an understatement."

"But she's good." Rose speaks firmly. "And strong and brave and loyal. She's saved my life, over and over again. You can trust her. You just need to talk to her, fix the problem before it comes up. I wish I had instead of pushing her away… do what I couldn't yeah?"

"Do you know how insane you sound? Weiss, trustworthy? After what she did?"

Rose's gaze is flat. "You do realise you're talking to yourself, inside a dream that looks like something thought up by the mind of some depraved psychopath, right? Crazy is the kindest word you could use."

Well when you say it like that.

There's a pause.

"And that's it." She sighs. "Can't remember anything else, so good luck I guess. I say you need it." She steps away from the doorframe, hoisting that scythe of hers over her shoulder. "Guess I better go out looking good." She steps out, and right as she does, the monsters all let out a demonic scream. They all turn to her at once, and from above, I can see them swooping down.

"Wait, damn, can't believe I forgot this." Rose says suddenly. She's not looking at me, but I can hear her clearly all the same. "Don't even think about it. Right as you way up, kick out with your left foot. Don't even open your eyes, that'll give the game away, I mean you can peek but do it quickly. You just need to handle things for thirty seconds and you'll be okay."

I stare at her. Gods this is another arrow through the shoulder situation isn't it?!

I'm not sure I can ask her, but even if I could I don't get the chance as dark wings descend on her and she swings into the fray, her scythe cleaves three of the creatures at once, Grimm, I'll remember it.

A dozen more take their place, and Rose is a whirlwind of red and black as she slices through them, again and again, one after the other, staining the ground in their blood she moves like a master of war.

A howl rings out, and I know from watching what's coming.

So does Rose, if the bitter grin on her face is anything to go by.

Over the ridge I see them; the wolves.

More and more she cuts down as they tear towards her.

And then, all at once, a sea of black fangs and claws close in around her.

I hear the tearing of flesh and screams of a woman dying.

It closes around me next, and I hear no more.

* * *

…

…

* * *

Consciousness greets me warily, as do I.

Everything rushes through my head at once, and the first thing I register is breathing.

It isn't mine.

I kick out as I'd been told, as fast and hard as I can and there's a yelp from the intruder as they're knocked off my bed and crash to the floor. It's loud. Loud enough so that other people should be able to hear it.

My eyes snap open and I lunge out of bed.

In the dark, I can see a figure, masking and with a dagger in hand,

An assassin has come for me.

* * *

...

 **Damn, Ruby can't catch a break. The world just keeps throwing things at her right now and if she's not careful; she just might trip.**

 **But hey, at least we got introduced to Weiss and Port right? Tha was... well it happened, not sure if the sisters are okay with it.**

 **Lifes tough for them by the looks of it.**

 **On a slightly related note, but more from curiosity, which of the Four RWBY girls is your favourite?**

 **Just wondering... for science.**


	6. Act 1: Part 5

**_Ready?_**

 **...**

 ** _Act I_**

 ** _Birthright_**

 _Bah! We don't talk about those Atlesian bastards in this tavern. There's something wrong with them, I'm telling you Grove. It's in the way they walk, the way they talk. It sends shivers up my spine. The whole of the, up on that island by themselves... they've done something to themselves, something twisted. No I'm not drunk! You'll see it too if you search hard enough! Just look into their eyes. I met one once, a minister or noble of their's during a meeting with Lady Coppersmith... It was like looking into silver mirrors._

 _-_ _A personal bodyguard of Lady Coppersmith, recounting his tales of Atlas to his companions._

 _..._

There's a brief moment where neither of us do anything. A moment where an attacker and their victim stare at each other, eye to eye. A moment of sheer incredulity between us. It only lasts for as long as that, because in the next l dive to the side.

The assassin chases after me as I fall off the bed. Their dagger whistles through the air so close it might as well be beside me. I don't stop though, even as I fight the instinct to flinch when my shoulder hits the floor painfully my hands dig into the pile of clothes on the ground.

Something crashes to the ground and shatters behind me and I'm sure they're going to make another attempt at me.

My hands close around something smooth and cold.

With a scream mixed somewhere between angry and terrified I spin round, the ceremonial dagger dad had given to me sparking as it clashes with the assassins own blade.

The action doesn't do much but knock the knife that probably would have buried itself in my skull away. The greater effect it has, is surprising my attacker. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to do more than cower and scream.

Well, I did one of those things.

The cowering bit, a little less so, since the next thing I do is bury my foot between his legs.

He stumbles back with a masculine grunt, and it gives me time to call out properly.

I can already hear her moving, but if she knows I'm in danger then-

" _Yang_!"

It does the job.

Twenty-eight seconds have passed in my head.

On the twenty-ninth the man stomps down hard, his boot slamming into my stomach. It knocks the winds from me, and he raises his killers' tool one more time.

On the thirtieth, the bedroom door bursts open and a yellow mane crashes through the entrance.

His head shoots up in shock, and he braces for Yang's collision.

Which gives me the perfect opportunity.

I had told Yang that I had no clue how to use a knife, which was true, I didn't know how to fight with them, and I was sure I'd be liable to cut myself if I did anything fancy.

Fortunately, my target was literally right above me.

I aim for his leg.

The Xiao-Long dagger pierces through his flesh and stabs into bone.

He lets out a scream of horror and tries to pull back.

Funny thing is, my knife has the effect of not only opening up more of his leg as he tried to move away, but pinning him just enough that Yang is on top of him before he has a chance.

Yang's knuckleduster cracks against his jaw so hard his head whips back.

He must have been dazed by the hit, became he raises his hands to defend his face, and completely misses that Yang has ducked low and slices up with a brutal uppercut that lifts him off his feet.

Metal on bone is an ugly combination, and something splinters as I tear free my knife and stab at his other leg, right above the kneecap.

He goes down a second later in a heap and just like that it's over.

Yang takes one last look at him, to make sure he says down before running to me, lifting me in her arms.

"Are you okay? Gods what happened?"

"I'm fine." I tell her. "He didn't even cut me."

"He had you on the ground!"

"I mean, to be fair I'm the one who put myself there."

She barks out a laugh and shakes her head. "I can't believe you. You know that?"

"Yeah." I breathe. My eyes fall on the intruder again. "Is he…"

Yang follows my gaze and sighs. "I think I heard something snap… he's not breathing."

I swallow. "Send for Port. We need to talk about this. Now."

Yang nods, and after convincing herself and making sure I really am okay, she does just that.

An hour later, a group of guardsmen are stood outside below with torches in hand. They'd been ordered to stand guard as Port inspects the scene.

"In my very own home." He frowns "It's unthinkable."

"Apparently not." Yang scowled, arm around me as we sit on the couch. It was a short event, but the endeavour has left us both tense. Taking comfort in each other helps undo that feeling.

"Rest assured my ladies," Port promises us. "I'll find the one responsible for sending that man after you and make them regret it."

I know he'll definitely try. If I'm honest, Port looks like he's suppressing his fury over the attack. Yang sees it too, and it's likely the only thing keeping her from losing it.

"So…" I say. "What about the… body? ...What are you going to do with it?"

He sighs, sitting down across from us and locking his fingers. "I'll have my men look at it, perhaps a necropsy to determine who he was… you… damaged his face badly enough that it is hard to tell."

Yang scratches the back of her head. "Yeah well, I wasn't all too interested in keeping him pretty." She blinked. "Wait a minute, isn't necropsy for animals?"

He shoots her a raised eyebrow. "You want to keep this discreet don't you?"

"…Oh. Right."

He shrugs. "After that, burning the body will likely be the next step."

I lick my lips. This whole thing should probably frighten me more. But I'm fairly sure I've hit my limit for insane and dangerous things happening in such a short timeframe.

"Why do you need to find out who they are anyway? If you have it hide the fact that there's a body then you're not going to report it are you?"

"Perhaps not your majesty. But that's not the important matter" he says. "Assassins don't' do things for their own benefit, not usually. If there was one sent after you, then someone wanted you dead."

"Pah!" Yang grunts. "Didn't work out for them did it? We dealt with him easy enough."

"You did." He allows gently. "Though I suspect the one they sent after you was no expert. If I had to guess, whoever sent them either didn't expect you to put up a fight, or wanted to make sure it was as difficult as possible to trace back to them. If they were to send another one after you, I doubt you would be so lucky again."

Yang shifts in her seat. "I guess so…" she crosses her arms over her chest as her gaze flickers to me. "Luck is one way to put it. Do you have any clue though? Anyone who'd do it?"

"I think you know very well the number of people who would want her majesty removed." He says softly. "The more important question however, is how many people knew she would be staying in my residence?"

At that moment, I can hear the sound of someone shouting. There's some kind of commotion, and metal on wood. The next, the door opens, and Lieutenant Schnee rushes into the room.

"Captain!" she gasps. "I just heard the news!"

"Oh I bet you did!" Yang growls.

Her cold eyes flash to my sister and her lips twist downwards. "What did you say?"

"Be real." Yang snarls, disentangling herself from me and getting to her feet and stalking forward. "How many people knew we'd be staying here? I can count them on one hand."

"I'm surprised you _can_ count, savage."

I swallow as all of a sudden my sister and the knightess are face to face, bare inches from each other. My sister towers a good head over her and yet the knight barely looks affected by the size difference.

Port wasn't having it. "Lieutenant, stand down. You too lass. I won't have violence in front of her majesty."

Yang bares her teeth viciously. "Give me a reason bitch, I'm begging you."

The lieutenant responds in kind, her hand falling to her hip, and the sabre strapped to it. "How about I make you beg for mercy at the end of my sword instead?"

"Bring it you-"

"That's _enough_!"

My voice cuts through their argument like a knife.

I' pretty sure it's just because neither of them expected me to speak up, but the moment of shock is there and I grasp it with both hands.

"In case you've both just forgotten what's happened, I just had someone sent to kill me, you know, the _one_ thing I've been afraid of for basically my entire life, and instead of getting even a moment to breathe, I have to listen to the two of you bicker like _children!"_ My glare pierces both of them as my voice rises. "I'm just about sick of _everything_ that's been going on lately, so the two of you are going to sit down, shut up and act like the adults you're _supposed_ to be or so help me when I do become queen I'll dangle the both of you off the side of the battlements in your nightshirts!"

A second ticks by.

And then another.

And then I realise what I'd just done.

By some miracle, both of them look away before the abject horror makes itself known on my face, thus saving my dignity.

"Sorry sis." Yang mutters, slumping back down on the couch mournfully.

"I… my apologies your majesty," the other woman agrees. "I shouldn't have spoken out like that."

The glare my sister sends her makes it clear she doesn't believe her regret is real.

I nip that in the bud quickly. "That's enough." I warn.

"But-"

"I know what you're thinking." I say. "You think Lieutenant Schnee is the one who sent an assassin after me."

"I would never." The knightess asserts. "Your Majesty I- I know we have not had the best start but I would never do such a thing."

Yang barks out her disbelief. "Yeah right, like she'd-"

"I believe you."

" _What!?"_

I ignore Yang's screeching in favour of the other woman, who's staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Y-you… you do?"

I nod. "I do…" Because of a nightmarish sequence of dreams that kept predicting the future, but she didn't need to know that. "Lieutenant Schnee… the two of us, well it's like you said; we got off on the wrong foot. I'll be honest in saying that the things I've always expected from knights has… coloured my opinion I think. I didn't trust River," my eyes trail to Port for just a moment. "I regret it, and, I don't want the same to happen here. So… I was hoping we could start over, all of us I mean and work something out from there."

"O-of course!" She nods frantically, practically jumping to her feet as she clasps one of my hands in her two. "I- I won't waste this chance your majesty. I swear it."

I'm pretty sure there's something I'm supposed to say to that, but since I don't know what, I just bob my head. I do turn a little though to look at Yang.

My sister's face has a fairly noticeable frown on it, but the pleading look sent her way could crumble any defence.

"Fine." She huffs, though she doesn't look happy about it.. "I'll let it go for now, but I'm watching you knight."

She might have said something, but the fact that said knight has just made a promise not to cause problems, she takes it in stride and nods at the warning.

Port, during all of this, looks inordinately pleased. I jump as he claps his hands together exuberantly. "Excellent. Glad to see that drivel has worked itself out. This gives us a great opportunity."

I blink and turn to him curiously. "It does?"

"Quite so! Obviously we must apprehend the dastard who ordered this, but in the meantime, there is still the case of keeping you safe your majesty. Unfortunately it seems my residence is compromised, and though I would hope the barracks would be safe for you among my men, I would not force you to give up your boundaries for that."

"Okay, I'm following you so far." Ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach probably isn't the best thing though. Why do I feel this is going somewhere awful?

"As such you will need a large enough place to house you and Miss Xiao-Long, somewhere with proper protection in the form of a person this time rather than just a secret." He smiles. "Lieutenant Schnee's residents are the perfect place for that."

Nope, not awful. This is worse. Much, much worse. I feel that silence that falls between the four of us is fairly apt.

Yang, being the lady of decorum that she is, breaks the silence.

"You fucking what?"

Yeah, I feel like that's the correct response.

* * *

…

…

* * *

"Here we are." The lieutenant introduces. Before us is a door.

I wince. "Thank you. Sorry about this."

"It is no trouble." That's a lie, I can tell by how stiff her back is and she knows it. "Captain Ports suggestion is a sound one, I would be remiss to ignore it."

The suggestion being that Yang and I should leave his home and move in with the same girl who not a day ago thoroughly interrogated us so that she could watch over us. Yes, a genius suggestion, that isn't awkward for anyone.

…What am I saying? Of course it is! That tiny step of progress with her, ruined in an instant!

"Well then," I say. "Should we go in?"

"Y-yes. Of course." The knightess twists the key ion the lock – roughly – and leads up in. "I- I hope you can't forgive me, but I obviously wasn't expecting guests so I don't have much prepared in the ways of welcoming.

"It's…" I blink. "Fine."

Honestly, it was.

Taking inspiration from the lieutenant herself, I expected her room to be barely decorated, dark, clod and maybe a little bit intimidation to step in to.

Instead it looked… standard.

The room was wide, as I expected from a knight, since they had… well I assumed they made some money just from having the title itself, that's what dad had told me anyway.

But apart from that it was different to what I thought it would be:

Wooden floors, warm coloured walls, a plush sofa and red-fur rug opposite a wide hearth and one plain glass window on the wall mirroring the door.

"Huh."

"Does it-" the knightess coughs into her first next to me. "Does it meet your standards?"

"It'll do." Yang grunts, pushing past us and dropping her stuff. She takes an interest in a hallway to the left and is out of sight the next.

That leaves me alone with the lieutenant. Thanks Sis!

"If it not good enough then I might be able to arrange-"

"Believe me, this is fine," I do my best to shot her a smile. Hoping it'll ease the tension a little. "I slept outside in a tent on the ground for sixteen years. This is above anything I'm used to."

It's not much, but I see her posture relax little bit. A start if I ever saw one.

"So then!" I say, peering out the window. "The night's gone and it's a new day. What should we do?"

"You're… not exhausted your majesty?"

I shoot her a sideways look which I hope she understands as 'tell me about it' and shrug. "Kind of, but I'm pretty sure with what just happened I wouldn't be about to get to sleep if I tried, especially with the waiting we have to do now until Captain Port comes back with something. Too much adrenaline so quickly can't be good for me. Maybe if we do something I'll be above to tire myself out. Got any ideas?"

"I... not particularly no." She hesitates.

I notice it. "What is it? You have an idea?"

"N-no, of course not. It's just… I would have patrols at this time."

"Perfect!"

"What?"

"That's something we can do right? You can take me with you on one of your patrols."

I pretty much expect the incredulous stare she gives me.

"You… can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"You would be unnecessarily exposing yourself to danger! You should stay here where it's safe."

"Wouldn't the safest place be next to you?"

"I- de- whaa?" She splutters wildly.

Yes! Undeniable logic is winning!

"Why do you even _want_ to come with me? What reasons could you have going out on the streets?"

Reasons she'd almost definitely refuse if I told her.

"To inspect the city of course." I smile. "If I'm going to… well, be queen, I should see Vale itself. And besides, if you're going to be protecting me I should get to know you shouldn't I?"

I predict the instant her jaw drops.

Yang, it so happens, saves her from a response.

"What are you two talking about?" she grunts, strolling in breezily. "Something I should know about?"

I shrug. "We're going out. The lieutenant's going to show me around the city."

"Uh, my ass she is."

The other girl's face twists at the language.

Bingo!

"Yang," I chastise firmly. "You can't force the lieutenant not to do something just because you don't like it! That would be- well that you be like you're ordering her around."

"Indeed." She suddenly perks up. "If you haven't forgotten _I_ have been the one tasked in protected her majesty, not you."

Yang's lips peeled back. "She's _my_ sister."

I step in front of the blonde before violence can erupt. "Yang come on. She's a trained fighter. She's more than capable of protecting me just fine if anything happens. Besides, it's only this once. I'll be fine, okay? Just trust me."

Yang holds my gaze resolute, but I don't back down.

It's nearly a full minute before she sags back. "Fine." She grumbles. "Just this once. You better be careful though, okay Rubes? I don't trust her to look after you."

The white-haired girl bristles "I am very capable thank you very much."

Yang ignores her and scratches her head. "I'm uh… going to go check my room. Get comfortable and stuff… see ya."

I nod, and stay quiet as my sister lives the room.

In that silence, after a moment, Weiss speaks.

"You knew I would want to oppose her… didn't you.

"…yep." I say, making the popping sound at the end.

"And you knew that since I wasn't going to take you on patrol, the best way to convince me would be to put her against the idea too."

"Yep."

"And you knew that now that I've said I'd it, I can't go back on that."

" _Yeeep."_

She sighs. "Just let me get prepared."

* * *

…

…

* * *

As she said she would, the lieutenant takes me with her on her patrol, and as the open streets lined with brick and mortar homes begin to fill with people going about their business, I fall into step beside her.

I think we must stand out a bit; me in what essentially is a tribal desert garb, covering everything up to the lower half of my face, and her in silver and blue armour unlike those of Vale soldiers we pass.

It does beg the question though.

"So," I hum. "Atlas… what's it like?"

"I'm sorry?" She blinks, keeping her eyes forwards as we walk, scanning for threats even as she speaks.

"Right, mean, what's different up there compared to here? What's the weather like? The cities, the people and stuff?"

"Does my homeland interest you?"

"Uh, yeah? Sort of. I mean, my tribe may travel a lot but that doesn't mean I'm… well-travelled, you know?"

"I… suppose."

She looks away, and for a moment I'm not sure if I've said something wrong. The lieutenant… seemed to have a particular sort of view by the looks of it. She'd called the Xiao-Long tribe, _my tribe_ a bunch of savages, hadn't she?

"It's… cold."

I blink. "Sorry?"

"Atlas," she nods to herself, eyes facing forward. "It's cold. All of the time. Much different than the Vale. Here, you have seasons dedicated to different weather patterns and the like. Winter, spring, summer and autumn. In Atlas our only measurement of such things in whether the snow is wet or dry."

"It snows a lot?"

"When I first came to Vale it was winter. I suspected nothing. Then it began to melt and I almost fainted."

The image of Lieutenant Schnee of all people dropping at the sight of melting snow is enough to make me giggle.

Her eyebrow raises.

"Sorry." I wave, pushing down the bubbles of laughter. I didn't mean to laugh. Go on. What about the rest of Atlas?"

"There is a lot to mention." She says, her chest puffing out ever so slightly as she explains her homeland to me. "The architecture is much different to the lands of Vale. Forgive me for saying, but here it is rather simple. Practical I can give it, but nothing amazing. Atlas is a treasure trove of magnificence."

"Really?"

She nods. "Really. From spiralling pillars and archways made of marble to crystal décor lining the streets, to the high society appreciations of art and class, every bit of Atlas emphasises that beauty. You would be amazed at the lights there."

"It sounds like it." I agree. "I can see a little bit of it I think, in your amour I mean."

"Ah!" she looks down. Her armour _was_ different than anything I'd seen elsewhere. It enclosed her form tight, arcing up over her chest in one movement and protecting her throat. It pushed forward in a diamond shape, and on its surface, intricate engravings of a scene I wasn't familiar with. It was like a story was being told on the steel.

It didn't stop there, silver vambraces leading all the way up to her shoulders and sharp pauldrons gave her an edged look, and like I'd noted the first time I'd met her, she wore heels that were actually a part of her armour, all the way up her shins and thighs and an open tasset for movement. It should have been heavy, and yet from the way she moved I could tell it wasn't.

All of that, finished off with a white cape with deep blue on the underside "Thank you I'm glad you noticed. Truth be told, when I first arrived, the captain's men actually mocked it."

"Seriously?" I shake my head. "Well I'd tell you to ignore them, but I'm guessing you already did. Either way, I think it looks good."

I see it, a tiny smile graces the lieutenant's features. She hides it quickly. "It is the smithwork of Atlas, I can assure you."

"Is it the same for your weapon?"

Her eyes flicker down and she palms the top of it. Like her armour, it too likes intricate. It would be a plain looking handle if it wasn't for the silver ornaments extending outwards from the guard, almost as if it was making one. It's a personal thing, having a fascination with all kinds of weapons myself, even if I've never really used them. I can tell it's an amazing one.

"Quite so. It was made for me personally. In the beginning I had thought of going for a rapier, but upon deciding that I would journey to Vale, a Sabre was thought to be of more use."

I could see that. If anything, if it wasn't for the curved point I would have mistaken it for a straight-sword, arming maybe.

"So why did you come to Vale?"

I realise I've made a mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth. The lieutenant's face twists into something uncomfortable and I know instantly it's a bad topic.

"O-oh never mind." I wave off. "If it's a personal reason then I have no reason to now. Don't worry about it. We can talk about something else if you'd like."

Her shoulders relax, as do mine, ad a relieve smile appeared on her face. "Yes. That would be better I think. Thank you your ma-"

She cuts herself off and I wince. Yeah, even if we can talk in the open about Weiss home, it's a safe topic. Mentioning that I'm actually royalty, out here with so many people around, that's bound to cause trouble.

"Just call me Ruby." I tell her. "Using my actual name is going to be safer."

"I… don't think that would be proper."

"What?" I blink, then laugh at what she means "Oh don't worry about that! Come on! I'm not going to be insulted if you call me by the name my mother _gave_ me. Honestly I'd feel better if you did call me by it. The uh… other thing makes me uncomfortable."

She looks reluctant for another moment, before letting out a long sigh. "Very well… Ruby. If that is what you prefer. I… hope I can extend the same courtesy the other way and that you will call me Weiss then."

"O-oh!" I respond. "Well I mean, if you're comfortable with that. If you want I can keep calling you by your title."

She shakes her head. "No, it is only fair that you are allowed to refer to me by something easier too. I would not have you make an effort I am not."

"Well… alright then!" I smile. "Thank you Weiss."

She returns it with her own, for a moment. In the next, it fades, and she looks away.

"Ruby… I… I would like to apologise."

Huh?

"What for?"

"The-" she turns back to me with a guilty expression. "For the comments I made about you when we first met. I… I insinuated that you were… " She pauses. "Incestuous."

"Oh... yeah." I let out an awkward laugh. "That was a little bit intense. But I guess I was more focus on the… other things that were going on at the time. I was more afraid that you were going to get a lot more serious with the torture."

Weiss looks down. ""I… wouldn't have done it."

"What was that?"

"I wouldn't have done it." She repeated, trying to impress the truthfulness of her words upon me. "I- yes, I am aware that it is not forbidden in circumstances, should those ever arrive, and that sometimes it can be necessary, I find those actions to be… distasteful."

I must show genuine surprise because she looks even guiltier.

"I was just trying to frighten you." She explains. "I may have gotten a little rough, and I admit I am at fault for that, I got more invested in it than I should have, reacted too harshly to what I perceived to be a slight against me, but I would never have gone _that_ far."

Well… Wasn't that something? She's genuinely distraught about the fact that I feared for my life near her. A part of me wants to feel vindictive over that, to say that she should after what she did, but as I take her in, al can only feel bad for her honestly.

Good and noble was it?

I smile at her as comfortingly as I can manage. "It's alright, I forgive you Weiss."

The look she gives me is tinged with confusion. "How can you?"

Because a scary dream version of myself told me to trust you implicitly?

"Because you seem like a good person, a genuine one. I said it before and I'll say it again, we had a bad start. But we can start over here.

Weiss smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you Ruby."

"No problem Weiss."

For the first time in the last few days, things look like they're working out.

Suddenly, my eyes something, the destination, the object of my curiosity.

I take Weiss' hand, and she jumps at the contact.

"W- what is it Ruby?"

"Can we go this way?" I ask. "I want to get a good view."

I practically drag her along, though is she really wanted to resist I doubt I could move her.

Moments later we're in a clearing, a square of some kind next to a large fountain and stalls lining the edges of the space. "What are you…" the knight's eyes follow mine. "Oh, see." Weiss looks up, over the crowds of people, over the stalls and buildings…

To the cliffs above, and the castle on top.

From down here, so far below, I can't get a good view, but even still I can see the towers reaching out towards the heavens.

"So that's Beacon then… isn't it."

"It is," Weiss shifts uncomfortably. "Is this what you wanted to see? You know it is dangerous to expose yourself, especially for something like this."

I understand that. Really, I do, coming out is probably reckless… but…

"This is my home." I murmur quietly. "Or, it was meant to be… but this is my first time seeing it. It's… even from here it's bigger than I thought it would be."

In the corner of my eye, I can see the lieutenant take a set forward, so that she's standing beside me, looking up at it. "What _did_ you think it would be like?"

"I…" I hesitate. What _had_ I thought when Rivers had mentioned Beacon?

A lonely castle, me, surrounded by men and women with their own agendas, each and every one of them wanting something from me, and willing to kill me if it would mean they could get it? Was that what I had thought?

… no, it wasn't, not really.

"I guess I never _had_ given it much thought." I admit to her. "Living far away with the tribe… I never considered that I would ever be here. I never thought I'd come to… reclaim it. That's what I'm doing isn't it? Reclaiming my birthright?"

"I… suppose so."

"I've never really wanted it. I think."

The look on Weiss' face is a funny one. "You didn't? Why?"

That's the question isn't it. "I'm… not sure. I mean, I don't even know what it would mean, what I would have to do. I was… happy living with the Xiao-Long's. It was simpler, safer place… can't say I'm all too excited about what's going to happen next. If what's happened already is any sign… I'm not sure I'll even survive to the throne, and if I do…"

What happens next. As in, honestly, what do they expect to happen? I have no clue how to rule, how to govern over people's futures and possibly even their lives.

The most I'll likely get is a few days, weeks, months at most before someone gets it into their head that they can do better than me. And they'd be right, but it would mean a knife in my back.

"I'll protect you."

I blink, the words interrupt my thoughts but… did I hear that right? I turn to the knightess

"I- what?"

Weiss' lips are set in a line, her face is firm with determination as she stares right into my eyes.

"I'll make sure you see your throne," she says. "I'll see to it that none harm you."

I laugh, the sound is bitter as it passes my lips. "You're a bit late for that."

Weiss has seemed cold to me for the most part. I don't expect her to be the kind to initiate any sort of contact.

So when she clasps my hands in hers, I nearly jump back.

"Then I will try twice as hard!" she promises. "I will do everything in my power to protect you, from every threat. I'll right my mistake from before and show you that I can be relied on, that so long as I am by your side you won't have to fear the blade. I swear it."

"W-w-wha-?"

Dear gods what's going on?! My tongue is suddenly tied. What even is this? She looks so serious and she'd just laid out her heart like that. Like it was nothing! Or everything, I can't even tell which!

Oh gods why does my neck feel so hot?!

"W-Weiss, what brought this on?"

"It's how I feel." She tells me with a straight face. ' _That doesn't explain anything_ – I want to cry – _that just makes it even worse!'_

"Y-yes well," I swallow. "Thank you. I guess declarations of honour like that are expected of a knight."

There's a pause.

"Ah."

I blink as Wiess suddenly retracts her hands. Why did she- is it just me or does she look embarrassed all of a sudden?

"I'm honoured that you think me of such your- I mean Ruby." She coughs into her fist and looks away. "But… the truth is… I'm not actually a knight."

…what?

"What?"

"I have not been knighted." She explains. "It is as Captain Port calls me, I am just a lieutenant."

"B-but-" I stutter, trying to find the words. When I can't, I gesture to her with both hands. "But the armour, the swords, the way you act. How could you not be a knight?"

"I…" she coughs, I can see the tiniest tint of red on her cheeks, and only because it stands out against her nearly snow-white skin. "I come from a fairly well off family…. You could say they were parting gifts from them."

I… don't really know what to say to that. Had I been reading the entire situation wrong? If that was the case then what else had I missed?

Weiss isn't even a knight, which means I couldn't compare her to others. It means she didn't quite have that stigma of others that aimed to kill me.

But it also means that I can't glorify her as a good standard for them either.

In that way, Rivers and his mean were the only ones I could see as _good_ knights.

Weiss, misinterpreting the look on my face waves her hands wildly. "That's not to say I do not wish to be one." She hesitated, and grimaces. "I do in fact, and I work hard so that one day I might reach that status… but it is rare for kingdoms to knight an individual from another land, and the council of Vale has no interest in gifting me such power. The only way it could be possible is if I were to perform such an immense deed that they could not ignore it." She nods, almost to herself, and that determined look is back, her voice is a whisper. "I will, that is my goal. To truly become a knight. That means that I must act like one, I need to uphold the values of a proper knight. That's why you can rely on my word your majesty."

I'm not great at reading people, I don't think so anyway, but even if I was deaf and blind, I don't think I could mistake Weiss' look as anything but wholly sincere. Of all the doubts that crawl their ways through my mind, this isn't one of them.

And as Weiss looks to me, what else can I do but ease the worries she probably has?

"I don't doubt you will Weiss. I think I'm lucky to have you at my side then. I'll do my best to make your promise worth it."

If the crowd wasn't here, I'm almost sure she would have kneeled, instead, she settles for bowing her head deeply.

I smile. "So… we should probably get on with the rest of your patrol, shouldn't we? I don't want to hold us up any longer."

"Yes," she nods. "Let's go then."

She turns, and I follow, falling again into step with her, and for now, leaving the shadow of Beacon behind me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

We return to Weiss' home just as the moon begins to rise. I hadn't thought a patrol could take so long, especially considering Weiss had said she only patrolled around the eastern part of the city where her station permitted, but Vale was far bigger than I could have imagined.

And yet, despite how long it was, when I walk through the door, I can feel the smile plastered on my face.

The walk had not been a quiet one, that was for sure.

"Hey," Yang threw up a hand. "You're finally back, I was about to get worried about you."

"I told you I'd be fine didn't' I?"

Yang rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Of course. What was I thinking?" her eyes flickered to Weiss as she entered beside me, and my sisters lip downturns.

"I guess you managed to keep your hands off her for a while."

Weiss met her look. Then she met mine, and, considering we'd been talking about a little story from when I was younger involving Yang, beetroot and sand, the smile she struggled to hide was no surprise.

Well, Weiss may have wanted to keep up an at least polite appearance around Yang, but I had so such reservations.

My snickering draws Yang's look, and she narrows her eyes.

Before she can ask what it's about though, Weiss waves a hand. "Come. It's late now, and I think we should at least enjoy the wellness of a good meal."

"… yeah sure." Yang grunts, content to let it drop for the moment.

It takes a few minutes or longer for Weiss to prepare the food – she insisted on doing it since we were her guess – and she sat down on the sofa with me.

Yang follows a moment later, but not before shooting the two of us a suspicious look. "You two are suddenly a lot more… chummy."

Weiss says nothing and I smile up at my sister. She seems to realise that being directly antagonistic to Weiss now won't net her any big sister points, so let's off a little huff and plops down beside me.

I don't point out how she's basically using me as a human buffer to Weiss.

Eating is a relaxed affair I think, for how it usually is at the tribe, usually full of a lot more yelling, drinking and just general chaos.

I think it's nice though. Relaxing, enjoyable, if only because it's so new.

"You know," Weiss hums. "I should probably light a fire in the hearth, especially if all three of us are going to be sitting here."

"I can do that I guess." Yang says, standing up and making her way over to it. "I actually put stuff in there earlier, so this'll be quick."

"Well that's good." Weiss nods. "I believe there are some matches over in the-"

"Nah, no worries," Yang waves off. "I can just do this."

Two things happen at once.

The first, is that Yang extends one hand lazily, and from it, a small fire flows forth, not big enough to set anything alight unintentionally, but enough to set fire to the logs in the fireplace. A small, simple, and warm fire for us.

The second, is less expected, that being that Weiss rears back so fast and so sudden that she leaps off her seat, over the back of the couch and onto the floor with a mighty crash.

That in itself takes me by surprise.

But the sound that comes from steel whispered from its scabbard sets me on edge in an instant.

It does the same for Yang, probably more so, since the steel in question is pointed straight at her.

"What," Yang asks very, _very_ slowly. "Are you doing?"

My eyes are wide, frantically snapping back and forth between Yang, crouched over, palms open, coiled like a snake ready to strike, and Weiss, on her back, scrambling up with her sabre pointed directly at her.

And shaking.

Wildly.

"Y-y-you-" Weiss' voice hisses out, as sharp as the blade she holds. But there is a tinge of something. Something panicked.

That's what makes this even more terrifying.

And I think it's the only reason Yang hasn't reacted violently yet. She's watching for the lieutenants next move.

"Weiss," I say, as calm, and unagitated as possible, hands in front of me, moving, inch, by, inch, to stand between Weiss' sword and my sister. "Put. The weapon. Down. And tell me exactly what's wrong."

"Y-you-" She stutters, eyes moving wildly. I realise that they're wide, and filled with a genuine fear. Weiss is suddenly afraid of my sister. "She's using magic!"

"… she is." I confirm, unsure what else I can say to that. "She is. My sister is well capable of using magic. If the fire scares you, then I'm sorry. We didn't know."

"N-no you-you don't understand – Why- why aren't you- she's using _magic!_ "

"Yeah?" Yang grunts, straightening up and looking down at the other girl with a glare. "What about it?"

I turn, fixing her a warning glare before turning back with a softer look. Carefully, I take a step closer.

And then closer again.

"Weiss," I say, close enough now that I can rest my hand on the tip of the blade. I move it down.

 _Very_ gently.

"We can talk, and you can explain what's bothering you. But you need to put your sword down first. I promise that whatever you're scared of, I won't let it hurt you."

And it's with those words, and with Weiss turning to me, searching for an answer with her wide eyes and paler than normal face, that the blade is finally lowered.

"Explain."

A minute later, things are slightly better. I'm back on the couch, Yang beside me, and Weiss a few feet away at the other wall. The way I'm clearly a barrier between them is clear, but goes unsaid.

Yang's arms are crossed, and a stern look is set in her features, but she leaves the talking to me.

"Now," I say. "Why don't you tell us why you… reacted like that?"

Weiss' face is chipped like ice. "She used magic."

Okay, she'd said it again. Not sure what she was _accusing_ Yang of, but I guess I just have to go along with it for now.

"Yes," I nod. "She did… is that a problem?"

She chokes. "Is that a- you can't be serious!"

I feel a frown work its way onto my features. "Weiss I really don't understand what you're trying to say. Can you please just tell us what's got you so rattled?"

"This is getting us nowhere." Yang mutters behind me. Gee, thanks for the support sis!

"Why aren't you reacting appropriately to this?!" Weiss shakes her head. "She- she's using something that's- that's-"

"What Weiss?"

"Evil!"

I blink. I don't even have to turn to know that Yang's doing the same. Though I know for sure when she speaks.

"Say what?"

"Don't act so surprised savage!" Weiss snaps angrily, eyes boring into Yang. "Magic is a dark, evil thing that twists the hearts of men!"

Yang scoffs. "Okay, that's just crazy. If that was the case nobody would be allowed to use it."

"They're not!"

"Eh?"

I tilt my head in confusion, because I really do feel it. "Magic isn't illegal in the Vale. Looked down upon by some people because of how rare it is sure, but I specifically remember it being protected by a law even when my mother was queen. It's been accepted for generations."

"But I… In Atlas," she shakes her head rapidly and expands her meaning. "In Atlas it is completely forbidden. All those who practice it are branded as heretics and put to the sword."

And suddenly it's very, very quiet.

Yang's voice comes out in a hoarse whisper. "You can't be serious."

"I am completely serious." She frowns. "Every child is taught that magic was a corrupted and twisted power given by the god of darkness. It is only natural that such a thing would be destroyed."

Destroyed. The way she says it makes it sound like she's all for it. Like she sees magic as this monstrous thing that should be eradicated. The idea is nauseating.

The way Yang's face is pulled into a disgusted sneer, I'm sure she feels the same. This is directed at her after all. "God of darkness? I don't know about any of that."

"You… don't know about the brothers?"

"Brothers? As in brother gods? No." Yang crosses her arms. "I believe in the four."

"Four?" Weiss echoes, and now it's her turn to look confused. "You're saying you believe in four gods?"

I nod, taking over the explanation. "The gods of Knowledge, Creation, Destruction and Choice. The four ideals of humanity personified as power and given to us by deities. We've grown up believing in them since we were children. I'm pretty sure most people in the Vale believe in them."

"I…" the lieutenant hesitated, indecision written on her face "It never came up, I was never informed of such a difference. I was not aware that such a faith existed."

I could say the same for hers. A god of darkness seemed a little… extreme.

Still…

"Well, yeah," I try to nod sympathetically. "I guess that's a big change to think about."

"It is," she agrees. "I thought Mistral was bad, but to think that an entirely different kingdom is filled with heretics and blasphemers."

"Oi!" Yang swore. "Again with the name calling?"

"It's the truth," Weiss states as she crosses her arms. "Magic is a danger to the civil Order of man. It's an enemy to Order itself. Such a thing could never be allowed in Atlas."

"Well it's allowed here." Yang enforces. "Remind me never to visit Atlas."

"They would never let you in." The white-haired girl informs her. "I can't believe they would allow something so… wrong here."

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with my magic."

Weiss' glares at my sister, though it's surprising to see that it's not a cold look, but heated.

"How could there not be? It goes against how the world works!"

Yang shakes her head. "That's so wrong I don't even know where to start."

"What?"

"Just- look." Yang holds out her hands. Weiss rears back a little, but I move to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Your majesty I-"

"Weiss," I hum softly. "Nothing bad is going to happen. Trust me."

I can still see the worry there, clear as day in her eyes, the way her eyebrows point down and she gnaws at her lip. She doesn't stop me when I lead her closer though, so I'll take that as a victory. I nod for Yang to continue.

"Listen," she starts steadily. "Magic isn't some weird outerworld thing that nobody understands. We don't just… I don't know, pull it from wherever you think we do." In her hands, a tiny flicker of a flame comes to life. Smaller than my thumb. Weiss tense beside me.

I give her hand a comforting squeeze.

For now it's enough.

"Magic is… well it's alive, kind of, in its own way."

"Doesn't that just prove my point that there is something dark about it?"

Yang shoots her a look as if to say 'Are you serious?'

"Your alive, animals are alive, heck even _trees_ are alive. You wouldn't call them evil would you?"

"I… suppose not."

"Well it's the same with magic." The tiny flame warbled, moving in a small circle in Yang's palm. "It's different, but I guess we can go with the tree analogy. It's a part of nature, all around us you just can't tell it's there unless you're already tapped into it."

Weiss looked up in shock. "You aren't saying what I think you're saying are you?"

"Maybe. Magic is all around us. In the air, in the water and even the ground. It's like a… I guess you could say it's like a nutrient that every living thing soaks up all the way through our lives. People who can use it, tap into those reserves, the same way you breathe air around you I can take in magic and use it."

"If that was the case then how do… 'magic users' get tired. I believe I hear that they can exhaust their reserves."

Yang hums. "That's a little harder to explain. I mean, if you run for too long then it can feel like your lungs are burning right? Thank of it the same way."

"I… see."

So do I. Not the magic explanation, I already know about that, but the spark in Weiss' eyes.

There's still mistrust, a fear there. But she's curious. Interested.

Yang knows it too, and because she's talking about something important to her, something she's proud of, she's grinning.

"Magic is a part of me like any organ is a part of you. So saying it's not natural… well that's just flat out wrong, especially when anyone can do it with enough practice."

 _That_ makes Weiss' head shoot up. "T-they can?! But- but why is it so rare then? I thought only certain bloodlines could use it!"

Yang chuckles, letting the tiny wisp of a flame travel up and down her arms. It didn't burn her clothes, nor singe her skin. It didn't harm her at all. It was a part of her.

"Remember what I said snow angel, magic is all around us. That means that anyone can tap into it if they know what they're doing and take the time to learn. Yeah, certain people can have it easier, but there's a trick to that; the more you use magic the more it… mixes with your blood I guess you can say, so any kids you have already have some connection to it."

"Thus making it easier for them to reach that same... threshold." Weiss summarises.

"Well, yeah." Yang nods. "There's still a lot more to it, and it takes a lot of work memorising everything to use it like I can, but that's the gist of it."

"Wait…" Weiss stops, eyes locking onto Yang's with some sort of abject disbelief. "You're saying you have to be… academically inclined to wield magic?"

Yang's grin is satisfied. "Yep. That's me. I have to solve all these problems in my head every time I use it. It would be prey bad if I made it too big and burned down the house right?"

My sister pauses for a moment, and then, holds out her hand. "You wanna see for yourself how not-evil magic can be?"

And there it is. An offer. An olive branch if Weiss is willing to take it.

She's nervous.

Uncertain.

She looks to me, and I send her what I hope is an encouraging smile.

Slowly, she slips off the gauntlet on her right hand and carefully lays it in Yang's own.

Yang jumps a little and laughs. "Geez… cold hands or what? They made of ice or something?"

Weiss scowls. "Are you going to get on with this or-"

She stops, frozen stiff. Yang's tiny flame grows as it wraps around the blond's arm. It changes, growing almost into a ribbon, encircling her arm. And then, it travels to Weiss.

The pale girls' breath catches as if she's preparing to be burned, and, when it doesn't, she lets out a gasp. I can see it — eyes filled with wonder.

The fire is alive. Anyone could see it. There is no doubt, the way it coils around Weiss' arm, warm and kind but never harmful. It gives off a light that warms my skin and no doubt does the same to Weiss.

Because once again, her breath catches in her throat.

This time in awe.

The flames keep moving, lighting the room as they travel down her form, to her legs and back up again, hugging her neck but never burning.

Kind, safe.

They gently coil back down the limb they had come from. Leaving one last kiss on the tips of her fingers.

And then they are gone, retreating back to Yang and fading away.

Even if there had been none, it's as if a spell is broken.

Weiss breathes again, and in shock, looks up to Yang.

My sister grins back.

"Well?"

"I… I…"

"Heh, speechless. Don't worry, I have that effect on people."

"That was… I don't know what that was."

"That was magic." I say, sending a nod her way. "You saw it didn't you? What it was."

"I… maybe," Weiss licks her lips. "I'm not entirely sure what I just experience but… well it was an _experience._ "

"Damn right it was." Yang smiles.

A beat passes.

Okay… they still haven't…

"You know." I buzz in. "Since it's over now, the two of you don't _have_ to hold hands anymore."

They both look down simultaneously, and their hands are snatched back.

Weiss' cheeks are bright red. "M-my apologies. I forgot myself."

"A-ah, y-yeah. I forgot for a second." Yang coughs into her fist. My eyes narrow. Are… are _her_ cheeks red?

"S-so!" Yang claps suddenly. "Are you uh… are you good? About magic?"

"I…" Her mind is still on something else for a moment, but she eventually shakes her head. "I suppose I saw nothing that suggests dark and malicious. I can't claim such things after seeing how… how it was. I… I'll need to think… what I just saw, over."

"Uh, good!" Yang nods quickly. "That's uh, that's good."

"And… are we…"

"I-u-um, what?" Yang swallows all of a sudden. I blink. Why is she so nervous all of a sudden?

"The-" Weiss looks away guiltily. "I pointed my weapon at you. I shouldn't- I won't react like that again but… can you forgive my mistake?"

"Oh, that." My sister clears her throat. "Yeah, yeah we're good."

Weiss looks up hopefully. "Truly?"

Yang's grin is back, and she punches the lieutenant's shoulder playfully. "Course we are. After what we just uh- never mind. Besides, I can't be mad at you after you acted like such a scaredy cat."

"I-I beg your pardon?!"

"Don't worry," Yang laughs. "So far as I care everything's water under the bridge. Forgive and forget yeah?"

"You would do that?"

"The forget part? Totally, not so much on the forgive part but I'll let it slide this once since you asked so nicely."

Weiss' shoulders sagged. "Thank you. I mean it, I… I'll do my best to make sure nothing like this happens again. I swear."

"Aw don't get all mushy on me," Yang laughs, moving to fling an arm over the other girl's shoulder. "Besides what did I just say? Forgive and forget. Never happened, so there's nothing to worry about. Don't go trying to act differently around me yeah? Or do, but in the 'not racked with fear and guilt' sort of way."

"I see." Weiss nods. "I suppose this means I must admit you've impressed me, Xiao-Long."

"Aw thanks!"

A twitch of the lieutenants' lip.

"Even if you're still a savage."

"Hah!"

Weiss smirks as Yang practically drags her back over to the couch and they plop down, no space between them now.

Weiss squirms.

Yang sends me a look. "You coming sis?"

"Hm," I shrug, yawning. "I think I've had enough excitement. I might just call it a day."

"No reason you can't do it here. There's a fire to keep you warm and everything."

"Do you think Ruby would be able to sleep on the sofa?"

"Hey, she's slept in a bedroll for years, this'll be fine."

"Well, then I suppose that it should be fair and, I should do the same?"

"Seriously?" Yang asks, wearing a smirk.

"I am to protect Ruby. If she is in the open like this then I should be near her. Give me a moment to properly take off my armour."

' _ **And suddenly you're wide awake.'**_

I might be, though I'm certain I have no idea why. Mere curiosity I'm sure, after all Yang is looking too, even if she's acting like she isn't. That's polite, isn't it?

Weiss makes quick work of unlatching her breastplate and discarding the rest. As she does, I can- ahem – see what's underneath.

Surprisingly, it's rather simple.

A loose grey shirt and pants that swashed down at her ankles.

She… looked rather plain honestly. Practicality over aesthetics to be sure.

If it wasn't for the snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes I might have mistaken her for a regular person.

Hah! Wouldn't that have been a mistake?

"Hm, not bad." My sister mutters under her breath,

"Sorry, did you say something?" Weiss asks.

"Don't worry about it."

I blink, and follow Yang's look.

And once I realise they're locked on Weiss'… chest area, I flush.

Gods damn it Yang.

I'm fairly sure Yang doesn't realise I can hear her, or that she's talking aloud in the first place because she continues. "Nice set… bit small but suit her… think her legs are where it's at…"

Gods why was I listening to this?!

"Ruby's are bigger though, softer and rounder looking too."

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

My suffering goes unnoticed, a tragedy amongst them all.

"There." Weiss nods as she carries her armour over to a rack and hanging it up. She makes her way back to us and unstraps her sabre. Setting it down on the coffee table in front of us. And sits down. This time, Yang is in the middle of us. "Oh!" she blinks. "I… is it just me or-"

"Yang's warm?" I laugh. "She is. It's almost like she's a portable fire herself. Helps in the winter when you're outside all the time. I think it's better than a fire actually, warms your bones without burning you."

Yang glows at my words.

"You can keep warm next to me if you want to you know?"

"That's... Thank you, but I am fine here," she says. "I can feel it enough." Even so, she _does_ lean her shoulder against Yang's, - albeit awkwardly – and her body visibly relaxing, relishing in the warms.

I smile, leaning on my sister's other side. The older girl smiles back in satisfaction.

I close my eyes as her warmth seeps into my shoulder. Funny, I'd forgotten about it in all the action. It still felt… stiff, but better now against Yang.

Better for sure.

Today had been… full of excitement. Better than yesterday, that was for sure, so, for now, I could at least fall asleep and feel safe.

At peace, at least for this one moment.

I'd forgotten about them actually, the dark nightmares

So when I fall into it once again, I don't have time to prepare myself for them.

I expect them to be as bad as they have been the last few times.

They are worse.

So, so much worse.

* * *

...

...

* * *

 **Well... chin up Ruby. Things could be worse. Weiss could have just stabbed you.**

 **Who'd have thought magic was illegal in Atlas?**

 **Oh... wait, this is Atlas we're talking about. In the absence of emotional suppression, I guess this is what we get.**

 **Sounds like there's some history there though, so we'll have to keep an eye on it won't we?**

 **Now we just have to wonder what's going to happen to Ruby.**

 **It** **couldn't be anything too bad, right?**


	7. Act 1: Part 6

_..._

 ** _Act I_**

 ** _Birthright_**

 _Aye, I know, some strange goings on there. Yes, I'm serious. My sister's been with a woman from a Tribe. Don't know what they call themselves, but for whatever reason they're encouraging that sort of behaviour. What? Course I'm okay with it. It's strange, but I can't hate my little sister for what she likes, now can I? Although, from what I heard, Queen Rose has been setting up talks with them for some time now. I wonder if she's seen that sort of stuff? Allow it here? Probably, from what I've seen. Look Gerald, there she is now. Oi! Squirt, get over here and introduce us to the girly hanging off yer arm! And you lad, get us another round of drinks for the two of them!_

 _\- The tail end of a conversation in on of Vales local taverns, heard by an informant six months after the Monarchy reached out to the nomadic Tribes of The Vale._

 _..._

This is new.

I'm not in a cave.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

The sound. Of blood. It's still there.

But I'm someplace different. No jagged stone walls, no moss or nature.

My surroundings are manmade.

It… looks like marble, bricks and mortar.

There are stands, benches overturned and broken but still recognizable.

This…. It's a cathedral.

And it's in ruins.

I look up, and see the red sky through the holes in the ceiling. There's shattered glass and crumbling bricks.

I guess the demons aren't reverent

Everything around me, from the floors to the pillars to the alters are cracked and desecrated. I can't tell if it's the work of looters or not, but a sneaking suspicion tells me it was something far more monstrous.

As if to prove my point, a terrifying howl tears through the-

The wall to my right caves in and a scream escaped me, bricks and rubble scattering everywhere as a black beast crashes through.

The sound it makes isn't a howl or a screech but a bone-shaking, guttural roar.

It's a bear. A massive terrifying creature with fur as black as night and eyes the colour of blood. And it's nearly as big as a carriage!

It fails wildly, swiping its paws in the air and splintering benches under its weight,

It-

 _Shink!_

I freeze, staring at the curved blade that bursts through its head, coming out the roof of its mouth and dripping black.

It falls like a tree, shaking the ground under its weight as it begins to evaporate before my eyes.

Metal boots clank onto the ground.

"Little bit of a scene change, don't you think?"

I swallow. "Yeah… it is." My eyes haven't left the…. The Grimm. "What is _that?_ "

Rose snorts in amusement. "Big isn't it. I call these things Ursa. Big bastards that take a sword or ten to the chest and still keep going."

Ursa?

"Do you have names for the others?"

"Yep," she says, stepping forwards and dropping onto one of the last still-standing benches and setting her scythe against it. "The Beowolves are the main force, basic beasts all things considering, claws hard and sharp enough to tear through chainmail and fast enough that if you turn your back you're dead five seconds before. Then there are the birdies… I call them Nevermore. They can get big, and usually travel in huge swarms. Then there are the Boar-"

"Wait what?" I stare. "There are more of them?"

"-atusks," she finishes. I forgot, she… yeah, communication isn't perfect here. "Yeah, there are a lot. Hundreds of different kinds I think, different variations at least. You have no idea how many there are, and even fighting them I doubt I've seen them all."

"That's…" I don't know what that is. Insane, terrifying, impossible. Definitely not the last one. I'm here after all, aren't I? I'm seeing something that should be impossible, experiencing something that I shouldn't.

"Don't I know it," Rose yawns, reading my thoughts… or, already knowing them. "Trust me, it's something you need to learn, what they look like, how to fight them, how to kill them. Trust me, it's the sort of thing you can't do without."

"What does that even mean?" I scowl. "I'm tired of this, getting these vague messages from people wearing my face. I'm dealing with enough as it is without having nightmares of-of these _things_!"

I'm so done with this, all of this! I don't need this, I don't _want_ to fear like this in my sleep. These things that I don't understand. My teeth grind together. "If you can't tell me what's going on then do me a favour and leave!"

Rose closes her eyes, and for a moment, all is silent.

It doesn't last, because that howl echoes through the air again. Closer.

"You want answers? Come with me."

She stands and turns, red cloak billowing as she does so.

I follow, walking behind her as she exits the cathedral and I see the bloody sky warbling above me. In the distance I can see those swarms of Nevermore, there's so many of them. Thousands, there must be thousands of them up there.

"Take look around you."

"Huh?" I blink.

Rose doesn't answer.

She doesn't need to, because the fact that she caught my attention is enough to bring my eyes down to the earth.

To the bodies' shrew across it in mauled and bloodied piles. Men, women and children, scattered limbs and organs litter the ground around me. Their lifeblood staining the grass and dirt a crimson tint, and each and every one of them wears a look of terror, forever frozen on their faces.

The smell is horrific.

I swallow, forcing myself past the nausea. "S-so? I… I've seen this already, they're dead, killed by monsters. How does that answer my question?"

Rose doesn't look to me. She seems determined not to. "Turn around… look at the cathedral's front door."

Oh for the love of-

"Seriously?" I growl. "This is a waste of time. You could just tell me what's happening and that would be the end of-"

"Turn. And face. The cathedral."

My lip thins into a line. "Fine," I snap. "This is such a-"

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

I voice catches in my throat as I gaze upon the visage straight out of a nightmare. A true one, filling with the twisted horrors and terrors associated with it.

This is- this… I can't even-

"Well? You sick yet?"

No, but I feel it building, because in front of me-

Weiss… has been crucified.

Blades and nails have been stabbed into her arms and legs, her broken body bleeding and limp as it hangs over the door like some kind of twisted effigy. There is no sign of life in her wide, dead eyes. All that remains is agony.

She'd been alive when this had happened to her.

I vomit.

Hard.

It burns my throat, the acid scalding as I empty the contents of my stomach onto the ground. The smell mixes with the ones already there and I feel my eyes water.

"Why?!" I wretch, and I realise I'm sobbing in between heaves. "W-what the _fuck_ is this!?"

"What? You already said you've seen the Grimm kill people."

"This wasn't the Grimm!" I scream, and I know I'm fortunate that nothing can really hear me. I don't think I would have cared even if I could be. "Those monsters use their claws, their teeth. They tear you apart but not- These are weapons! People did this!"

"… the people in front of you, yes."

I cough, the traces of sick still burning, my throat the bile is building again as I stare at her.

Rose's laugh is bitter. "I don't even have to see you to know what's on your face…. This is what happens little flower, when people are consumed by fear. They lose themselves to desperation. To madness."

"What did they _do_?"

Rose's eyes flicker back to the cathedral.

"Weiss fought. She fought and fought and fought without ever giving in. She stood beside me through everything, she never turned her back on me… and… and then these people… she was protecting them while they holed up here. I'd asked her to protect them for as long as possible. And she did. Right up until they stabbed her in the back."

Rose's face twists with a dark rage. "The fools thought that if they gave her up as an offering, because she'd slain so many of them, that the Grimm would leave them alone, spare them. Of course they didn't."

"That's," I swallow, looking around me to the corpses of the children. They, along with all the others, had been rent by monstrous claws. "That's insane. I-I don't even have to look at them for long to know that would never happen! They're just monsters, they don't have reason!"

"Preaching to the choir." She grunts. "Like I said, gripped by desperation and madness. They saw no chance and tried to make their own."

"No." I shake my head. I can't… I can't even comprehend what I'm hearing. That these people would do something so… so _evil_. So sick and twisted, all for a failed chance at survival.

They did this to Weiss.

To the girl I'd just… just spoke to, who I'd shared a moment of peace with, who'd asked for forgiveness, who had put her trust in Yang and sworn to protect me with her life.

And now I looked upon her broken body, and the people who had committed this disgusting crime.

Something dark writhes in my chest.

"In a way, it's fitting." Rose hums, perhaps unaware of my anger, or simply uncaring of it. "In their desperation they became monsters and so when the monsters fell upon them they were slain as such… in all honesty, they're perhaps fortunate that it was the Grimm that killed them, because if I had arrived before…" Her eyes darken, teeth grinding together as she grips her scythe so tightly I think for a moment it might snap. "I would have slaughtered them myself!" she snarls. "I would have made them beg for death for what they did to- to _Weiss!_ To a woman who intended on laying down her life to protect them. They betrayed her, made her last moments not ones of fulfilment, of a duty fulfilled, but _agony!"_

Rose spins, turning in my direction with a look in her eye I can only describe and immolation personified.

" _These_ are the people who you protect. These repulse creatures wearing human skin!"

She rips her hair, pacing back and forth. "It's never stopped. The bastards who hunted me, the ones who tried to use me and now these, the ones that betray my trust, who tear away the only things I truly care about! Damn them all!"

She's in hysterics. This- me. I'm in hysterics, and I know that I can't say anything. She wouldn't hear me if I did. I can only watch.

But something does stop her, a howl in the distance.

Rose stiffens, runs a hand down her face and takes… a long breath.

"Of course… now is not the time for… to get emotional. I forget my purpose here… such a thing may not even happen. Of course."

That's the crux isn't it?

"This…" I take a deep breath, close my eyes and try to steady my nerves. "This is real… isn't it? This isn't just some string of nightmares I've been having. This… this is really happening."

"…Yes." Rose says. "Or it will happen. This may be my present but it's your future. It's a future you can change with the right actions. You've already been doing that."

I look up. "I… I have?"

She nods. "I was on your end once, but these visions they- they change. All those different ways you see yourself die? They're different outcomes, different choices. Your interactions with your future selves colours your decisions and changes them."

"So…" I look around. "The last time, and this one… something's different?"

"Your relationship with Weiss I assume." Rose explains. "I remember it vividly, like you'll learn to; but she spoke about how she pushed Weiss away didn't she? I didn't. Every action you take is changing things little by little."

This was madness. It was completely insane.

"So what do I do?" I ask? "How does- how do I avoid this?"

"The Grimm? I don't know. But you might be able to." She steps forwards, mere inches away from me now, she looks down, right into my eyes. "Use this. Use me, us, as a weapon. I don't know how to stop the Grimm, but I know how to stop _this_ variation. The next Rose will probably know something else. The changes you make mean we learn more, do more that makes a difference and that feeds back to you."

"But- you're dying." I say. "You're going to die right here?"

She smirks. "I am, but that just means you'll have more motivation right? You have to make this work. I don't know why we have this power, to see into this nightmarish future, but another of us might. All I know is that we have it for a reason. We can stop this, we _have_ to stop this."

She stands, right as a dark shape appears on the horizon. Her scythe is in her hand as she turns.

"You can't stop. You must _never_ stop. You've been blessed, or cursed, to see exactly what consequences your actions will have. Every action you take must lead to victory. To the future where this never comes to pass. Take what we learn and use it to win."

"I-" the request in a big one. It's daunting, to realise that all of this. This is up to my decisions.

But that means it's not really a request, is it. It's something I _have_ to do _._

Knowing that I don't, there's no other answer.

"I will." I promise. "I'll do everything I can. I'll stop this."

Rose's smirk widens. "I knew you would say that, I was in the same place you were after all. I guess that means it's my turn to do my part. You'll find Ozpin soon, the days get mixed up, it could be the day you wake up from this, or a week from it, but when you do, you need to prepare yourself. You're about to be put on a show for them all to see. You need to look strong. Like a ruler. Make them understand _exactly_ who they're dealing with. Ozpin included."

I nod. "You can count on me." I manage a laugh. "But I think next time I'll need a proper explanation on how this works."

"Yeah, I know I can," she answers to my first sentence. "If I can't count on myself, who can I count on?"

She readies her weapon, as a beowolves howls not ten feet away from her.

She moves, almost faster than I can track and cleaves its hind legs in one fell swoop. She kicks off its corpse right as another lunges at her. She sails over it and drags the curved blade down its back, splitting it open and painting the earth with its black blood. She's already moving as a half-dozen Nevermore dive at herm their razor-like beaks aimed for her throat.

She batts one out of the air instantly, clipping the wings of another two in the moment they reach her properly and impales a four as it screeches out.

Rose grunts as one slices at her arm and rewards it with death for its transgression.

The last tries to circle back for another attempt, but Rose caches it with her scythe before it can rise.

The exchange lasts for three seconds, and it is only as the last is killed that the first hits the ground, fading in a blade smoke the next.

I watch Rose turn to the horizon, where a sea of black has formed.

She throws out her arms and roars out.

"Is that it?!"

Her answer is a cacophony of sounds I can't comprehend. Things humans nor animals could never repeat.

And they descend on her, drowning her in darkness.

I hear a relieved sigh from Rose as she's torn apart.

And the world crashes down around me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

I wake to sunlight, pouring in through the gaps in the curtains, to a warmth at my side and a slight stiffness in my shoulder.

I crack open my eyes and blink past the bleariness in them. I can also feel something… soft, that I'm resting my head on. It's… nice actually, warm.

I let out a sigh. Right now I feel… content.

And it's in that moment that I truly comprehend what has just happened.

My eyes drift shut as I take a breath.

My dreams aren't dreams. They're visions. Of the future. Of a future where the world ends and everyone dies around me.

Gods. This was actually happening.

How had I not seen this? How had I not realised what this was?

…No. I had. I had all of the evidence laid out in front of me, from the knights, to the ambush, to the assassin. It had all been there right in front of me.

I'd just refused to acknowledge it.

Because what was more insane than having nightmarish visions that you listened to and made decisions off of?

The answer? Believing that those nightmarish visions were real, and you could actually look into the future itself and see demons that only the most depraved of minds could ever have thought up.

I feel like I might be going mad, and if not, then I think that might be the easier option than knowing that this is real.

What had I been thinking? Promising that I'd actually be able to stop something like _that_ when I can barely deal with a few regular people hunting me?

How could I even hope to succeed in something like that?

Except… it doesn't matter.

Roe had said I was the only one who could stop it. And she was right. Even if I didn't know how. I was meant to be _queen_. How many people had that sort of power at their fingertips?

And… even if I didn't. It was shown to me, clear as day what would happen if I did nothing.

Yang, Weiss and so many other people would die to those monsters.

Really, there is no other choice.

I have to become queen.

And… decide what to do from there.

Right now though, unfortunately that means getting up from this incredibly comfortable pillow.

A… a pillow that's… moving?

Wait a minute…

Slowly, I prise my eyes open again, and tilt my head ever-so-slightly to the side.

A tiny squeak escapes me.

My face I planted right on top of Yang's boob.

Now, I'd been close to Yang's… assets, plenty of times. Her being as grabby as she is, it's completely expected.

But I don't think I've ever been _this_ close _._

Nor has that situation included the fact that in my sleep, Yang's shirt had rolled up on her, exposing the…. The underpart of her breasts.

I was in contact with a very warm patch of skin right now.

And it feels _extremely_ good to be this close.

Oh gods, what is _wrong with me?_

As carefully as I can, I shift my position, lifting myself so gently that my arms start to shake.

I need to be careful as to not wake Yang. I do _not_ want to suddenly be in that sort of situation.

It's a struggle to do so in this position, and even more of one to banish the thoughts whispering at the back of my mind to dive right back in.

No! Bad brain! What are you thinking?!

' _ **You know what it's thinking, you just don't want to admit you're considering it so much'**_

With a dreadfully monumental force of will, I manage to pull myself far enough away that if Yang were to wake up no, she'd suspect nothing.

From me anyway.

Weiss on the other hand.

Oh dear.

As I sit up, I lean over the couch to see where Weiss is sleeping on the other side.

She's practically burrowed her way into Yang's side, no doubt having searched for warmth in her sleep.

Her head is buried in the crook of my sisters' neck, and her body is pressed scandalously against Yang's arm.

And the worst offender, is how Weiss' hand is splayed out against Yang's bare stomach, fingertips skimming the underside of her breasts.

Weiss is going to be _so_ upset by her position when she wakes up.

It would probably be a good idea to try and separate them to avoid that, but I want to be caught in the middle of it even less, so instead, I creep off the seat, leaving them to it.

Standing up, I shiver and look for my clothes.

They're in a pile on the floor next to the window, so I can put them on later. I just need to find a private room to change out of my dress shirt first.

And… speaking of changing.

My hand drifts up to my shoulder and my fingers begin to play at the edges of the bandages.

There are still patches of red seeping through, though none of it looks new.

Both Peach and Rose had told me I needed to keep it clean. Maybe I should do that before I get dressed?

But before all that, there is something even more important.

An issue extenuated by the sudden rumblings of my stomach.

I wonder what food Weiss has in her pantry.

In my search for answers I make my way over to her cupboards, and I'm rewarded for my efforts in the form of fresh fruit.

Huh, this sort of stuff is supposed to be rare from what I heard, at least to buy. Even in the tribe it's usually something we only got when passing through and trading with villagers.

So either Weiss is paid well for her rank too, or she's careful with her finances.

Could be both really.

I hear a sudden noise from the couch and blink, looking over. Weiss is shifting, as if she's in the process of waking up. I guess this is it then.

She stirs, moving closer to Yang's heat and though I can only see from behind, I catch her arm trailing back.

What catches me by surprise is the noise Yang makes. It's… I'm not sure what it is actually.

It… doesn't sound like a bad thing though, especially since when Weiss moves a second time, I hear it again… weird.

A few moments later, Weiss' form goes still, and I watch as she _snaps_ back, much like she did in the presence of magic before.

I wince. Hopefully her reaction is less violent this time, though it's probably a good idea to head it off just in case.

"Hey Weiss," I whisper, so that Yang's sleep isn't disturbed. "Is everything alright?"

Lightning quick Weiss' head whips around to me, her eyes are wide and her face is a bright red tint. Uh-oh, she must really not have liked being that close to Yang. "Y-Y-Your- Ruby I- I swear this isn't what it looks like. I-" she descends into unintelligible stuttering and I tilt my head to the side.

"What does it look like?"

"I-I-" she chokes, voice hushed as she inches further and further away from the blonde. "Nothing. I didn't do anything!"

"Well obviously." I laugh.

For some reason, my response seems like it catches her off guard.

"W… what?"

"I know you didn't hurt her," I explain. "I can't really get a good look from over here, but your swords still on the coffee table so it's fine."

"You…" she stares at me. "You're talking about my sword?"

"Um… yeah?" I blink, my eyebrows creasing in confusion. Seriously, where is this conversation even going now? "What else would you be doing?"

"I… nothing. Nothing, of course. Thank you Ruby."

"Sure?" I shake my head. "So, anyway Weiss, I actually have a favour I wanted to ask-"

I'm cut off by a loud yawn, and Weiss leaps back as Yang stretches her arms into the air. Her mane sways as she looks around, rubs her eyes and literally rolls over on the couch to face me over the back of it. "Hey Rubes," she hums. "What'd I miss?"

I make to speak but Weiss beats me to it.

"Nothing." She practically yelps. "Absolutely, positively nothing. You missed nothing! Everything is as it should be, nothing happened!"

"Um…" Yang blinks. "Alright?"

"Yes," Weiss agrees. "Everything is certainly alright. Definitely. Yes." She clears her throat with a cough. "A-anyway Ruby, was there something you needed?"

I hum. "Actually yes but uh, only if you feel comfortable with it."

The lieutenant blinks, and suddenly she's back to business. "Your majesty, you need not worry about my feeling in regards to your own or whether or not I am comfortable. Such things are immaterial concerning you as queen. I am meant to serve you remember?"

Well when she said it like that it sounded _weird_! Ugh! Why did Weiss have to be so proper and formal?!

I'm hoping my voice doesn't sound too strained as I speak. "Right…. Of course. Well, I was just wondering if you could help me change the bandages on my shoulder… maybe help clean it. I'd do it myself but I'm worried I might make a mistake."

"Ah." She says. "I see." Very well, I'll be in the washroom after I collected the necessary supplies."

"What about me Rubes?" My sister asks. "You uh… don't want my help?"

"Um…" I cough. "You… you can if you want it's just," I bite my lip. "I didn't think you'd want to after… Last time."

A look I can't quite place crosses her face. It… looks guilty. "Oh. Right that…. That makes sense. Yeah. I guess I'll just wait out here then."

"Good idea." I agree. "Weiss?"

"Of course." She nods.

"Do a good job yeah?" My sister shoots her a smile, dropping the awkwardness like it was nothing. "If ya do I'll be real grateful."

"W-w-what?!"

"Eh?"

"I- You- N-nothing! I'll be going now!"

Weiss practically races past me, leaving Yang to stare after her in confusion as the door to the washroom slams open and shut. She looks to me. "What was that about?"

Honestly, no idea. So far Weiss had been great, but it wasn't like I really understood what she was thinking. The lieutenant was the definition of confusing for me. She'd been friendly with Yang last night and now she couldn't even look at her. It was a little disheartening to be honest.

"I don't know," I shrug. "She was like this when she woke up. She's been acting strange since then."

"Really? Why?"

"I think it might because she woke up practically on top of you. Weiss probably likes her personal space."

"On… top of me?" My sister gets this look on her face I don't really get. "Huh."

Right, well, a question for another time. I turn, heading towards the washroom as Yang stares off into space.

Weiss is there obviously, and the redness that had painted her face has faded. She sees me and nods.

My stomach drops

"Alright, I suppose we should begin then."

"Right," I say. "Let's uh… do that then. Should I just…" I trail off. Why is this so awkward all of a sudden?

"Well, perhaps you should sit first?" She offers, gesturing to the table behind her. It had been cleared of everything except the equipment she had brought in; cotton, bandages, tweezer, scissors, alcohol and some other thing I don't recognise.

"Wow," I laugh, doing as I'm told and hopping to sit on the bench. "You came prepared didn't you?"

"It should be expected. There may be cases in the future where I need to treat my own wounds, and seeing that this situation falls under that criteria, I'd say I was right to be prepared."

I hum. No argument there.

"Now then… Ruby." Weiss looks up at me and I see a hint of nervousness written on her face.

I blink. "What is it, is there something wrong?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing for me now, I just concern myself with whether or not you are fine with this. I need you to, well, take your shirt off… to treat it properly."

"…Oh." I cough, eyes trailing off to the side.

So that was it. That was… well there was nothing _wrong_ with that persay, it was just a little embarrassing. I don't really want to strip for anyone. That's kind of a private thing.

But Weiss needs to get a proper look at my shoulder. Stopping her from doing that was silly.

"Can you turn around or a minute?" I ask. "Just until I… Well you know."

She nods. "Of course." She does so, and I get to work removing my shirt. I wince as it means pulling it over my bad arm, but discarding is a simple effort. Though, I pause, and instead of leaving it on the ground, I hold it in front of me, hiding my breasts from view.

She can still see my shoulder fine like this right?

"Okay, you can look now."

The lieutenant turns and instantly her eyes flicker down.

' _ **Oh?'**_

She coughs. "Yes that's… a good idea. This makes things slightly easier." Weiss clears her throat. "Now then, you just need to sit still while I do this. It shouldn't take long."

I offer her a nod of confirmation and she gets to work, carefully peeling away at the strips and setting them aside.

The air hits my shoulder and I let out a breath. Weiss' voice is definitely filled with shock.

"This… oh my."

"So?" I ask. "How bad does it look?"

Weiss away from it looks up at me. There's a mixture of disbelief, concern and bemusement in her eyes and she raises an eyebrow.

"Your majesty, you have a _hole_ in your shoulder. I assure you it isn't a fair sight."

I laugh. "I could have guessed that. Still, does it look like there's going to be any problems with it, down the line I mean?"

She hums. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen may things like this in all honesty, not stationed in the city. I-" Her eyes flicker to mine. "I will say I'm… impressed isn't the right word, Ruby, I would never have thought you would be able to go through with something like this. It looks like an extremely painful process to remove the arrow."

"It was," I say. "I almost didn't go through with it. And I wanted to stop the whole way, but Yang pushed on. It was scary here for a while."

"I see." She picks up the cotton, dabbing with something wet and rubbing it along the wound.

My jaw clicks shut and a low hiss slips through my teeth.

"I'm sorry," Weiss recoils, pulling the cotton away. It's already stained red. "Are you alright?"

Not really, but I know what she means.

"I'm fine," I assure her, leaning back a little and tilting my head up to the ceiling, closing my eyes. "It just stings. Keep doing what you're doing."

So she does. It's a slow process, and with every prod, every feather-light touch it feels like my skin is on fire. I let out a low groan at the feeling that builds in my core, and I try to ignore it with all the will I can muster.

"So," I say, hoping simple conversation will help distract me. "Is everything alright with Yang?"

I feel Weiss stop her work for a second, and when she continues again, her voice is level. "Yang… what about her?"

I resist the urge to shrug. "Just wondering. I thought the two of you had made up last night but this morning you seemed… upset."

Another pause. My eyes are still closed, my head up, but I can hear a tinge in the lieutenant voice. "Upset? What makes you say that?"

"It's just, how you reacted when you woke up beside her, and when she was talking to you, you practically dismissed her. I was wondering if she'd done anything to upset you."

"You…" _Now_ her voice sounds even stranger, like she's in disbelief. It's gone the next, but it makes me feel like I'm missing something.

I'm totally missing something, and the more I think about it the more I feel like it should be obvious, but the answer to this dilemma seemingly escapes me.

Weiss is unaware of my thoughts of course. "Don't worry Ruby. I can assure you that I… wasn't upset with your sister. It was just a little… well I didn't expect to wake up like that, so close to her… you know... _things_."

I laugh, wincing as it jostles my shoulder a little but ignore it for the sake of the conversation.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I- back in the tribe I mean." I cough.

' _ **Great save Ruby!"**_

"When it was cold I'd usually wake up is a… similar position I guess. It was never a big deal for me."

' _ **It is now, I wonder why?'**_

"Other members of the Tribe though. Well let's just say people never took an interest in _me_ with Yang around, from guys _or_ girls."

"She… gets a lot of attention?"

"All the time." I laugh. "All she has to do is shoot a smile someone's way and people fall over themselves, sometimes literally."

I can _hear_ Weiss swallow. "I see…" she murmurs. "She must really enjoy herself then."

"With the entertainment of it? Sure." I shrug. "Yang's never been all that interested in a _proper_ relationship with anyone in the Tribe. I think she wants someone who gives her a challenge. That's what she says anyway. It might be that she wants to meet someone outside the Tribe. Yang always talked about travelling, stretching her legs and going out into the world."

"So… no one's caught her interest?"

I raise an eyebrow with closed eyes. Why are we going this deep into what Yang wants in a relationship?

"Not that I know of. She has a kind of… criteria, I guess. They need to impress her, keep her interest if you know what I mean. And they need to not be the kind who just throw themselves at her feet to do that."

"She desires an equal then?"

"Probably the best description, yes." I agree. "The second part is that they have to take part in her life."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Well," I hum in thought. It's a simple idea, but hard to really put into words I think. "Yang likes excitement, she likes things that are new. She wants to travel and have all these crazy adventures from how she always talks about it. I think that whoever she ended up with would have to be more than just okay with that. They'd need to be there right in the thick of things, you know? A part of her life. That's how I see it anyway."

"A well thought out specification," Weiss compliments. "Interesting, and completely understandable. It shows what kind of person she is I believe."

I hum in agreement.

"Is there anything else?"

Than that? Much more.

"Well," I pause. "There is one thing… but it's not exactly… a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Whoever she's with has to accept that I'd be a major part of their lives."

Weiss stops. "I'm… sorry?"

I wince. "Yang's… she's my sister. I love her and she loves me, but I think that… I'm not sure what to think. It's complicated."

"Would you… like to talk about it Ruby?"

I pause, opening my eyes and looking down to meet Weiss' eyes.

She understands my look.

"I could listen, if you want." She looks certain of the situation all of a sudden. "If you would like you… could confide in me, as a queen to her servant or… to a friend. I won't presume to see myself as anything special but if you feel you would like to talk about things … would be willing to listen and" She stopped, and I can see a light tint of red on her snow-white cheeks. "I'll admit to being curious about how you grew up, past little stories I mean."

I stare at her.

For a long, long moment.

Weiss… was offering something like this? That seemed a little personal to share with someone. Her time and trust on secrets and feelings. Surely she realises that to do something like that would mean she would be taking a step far further than a simple promise of loyalty?

Didn't she?

And… could I even trust her with something like that?

If anyone was going to be a confidant, it would be Yang, my own sister off all things.

But… that was the point of this offer, wasn't it. To talk about things that I didn't want to, o, couldn't bring up with her.

Weiss wants to be that?

It was frankly ridiculous, it was above and beyond what was expected of her. I'd only known her for two days, and some of that had been a poor relationship start!

Is this what Rose had meant? That Weiss was this kind of person?

…am I really considering this?

"In the beginning… the Tribe saw me as an outsider," The words leave my lips before I can prevent them, and by the time I realise, I don't feel like stopping. "Being a princess of all things was big, it was a crazy situation and the risk that I could bring danger to the Tribe made a lot of people feel like I didn't belong. I… the only people in the Tribe that disagreed were Taiyang – the man who adopted me as his own – and the Elders, people who had history with my mother before she died."

My eyes drift shut again as my mind forms a picture. Of a time long past. A smaller, weaker me, and a child-like Yang, brighter than the sun.

"Dad and the Elders tried their best to integrate me, make me feel welcome in the Tribe but you know how things are. People don't like things that are different, and there were people saying that the only reason I was staying was because dad made a promise to my mother as she died. I mean, it was true, but they said it like it was an accusation, like without it I wouldn't have been kept. I think some people wanted to just leave me on the side of the road."

Weiss' face pinches with concentration as she works on my shoulder and listens at the same time. "That sounds hard."

"Not as hard as it could have been. Really, they might have treated me like I wasn't one of them, but they were never cruel. I kept to myself anyway, or with the Elders when I could. I guess you could say they helped raise me too."

I can feel the smile spreads over my face. "It was like that for about four years, people treating me like this add-on to the Tribe."

"What changed?"

"What do you think?" I chuckle. "Yang was only six at the time, but she figured out that I was basically cut off from the others. Until then it was strange. We barely ever talked. Dad looked after me and she just sort of… accepted it, shrugged and moved on. But as soon as she realised the rest of the Tribe wasn't doing the same, she took things into her own hands."

I shake my head. "Yang made sure that we did everything together. Even as young as she was and how scared I was of everyone she was always there. Every moment of every day she made sure that I knew she was within arm's reach. She made sure nobody bad mouthed me, else they'd lose some teeth, or be on their knees begging for forgiveness."

The corner of Weiss' lips upturn almost invisibly at the description. "She sounds active."

"Oh she was, she still is, but back then she had this sort of crazy confidence that I was perfect. Looking back on it I don't really understand how it happened, as we got older more and more of what she did revolve around me, and when she started calling me her sister I… well I don't remember how it happened, but something just… clicked." I smile. "I was suddenly Yang's sister and the whole Tribe knew it. Everything just… changed. Suddenly I was a part of it, and I couldn't have been happier."

There's a beat of silence.

"… Forgive me Ruby," Weiss says. "It is a heart-warming story to be sure, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing as you say it is."

Right, I'd gotten side-tracked a little there. I need to get back on topic.

"My point… my point is that I'm not sure if Yang can see past her life next to me." I press a look upon Weiss. "We've been beside each other, every minute of every day, and I'm happy about that, but how exactly is Yang going to react to a relationship with someone with me there? She'll have to separate from me. What would that even mean for her? If she puts me before the person she's supposed to be with, or-or if it's the other way around?"

"Your majesty?"

"How are either of us supposed to… supposed to deal with that if we were to fully separate, if she went off to live her life without me for the first time in years, then how are either of us supposed to know how to do that?" I swallow, and my hands feel clammy all of a sudden. "No. I'd have to be there. It couldn't work any other way. I can't- I-I can't-"

"Ruby." Weiss cuts me off, her voice low and gentle. "You're breathing is erratic."

"W-what?"

"You need to breathe, slowly, calm down." The lieutenant rests a hand on my knee. I do as she orders, taking in as much air as I can and fighting off the burning sensation in my lungs, and exhale deeply.

I do it again, and again, and again, and with each action, things start to slow down around me.

No… not slow down, return to normal.

I'd… I'd just had a miniature panic attack.

Why?

Weiss' voice didn't change. It's still level, soothing. "How do you feel?"

I swallow, answering honestly. "Sick. Like I'm about to throw up."

Her eyebrows crease slightly, suddenly aware that she's kneeling down in front of me. "I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"S-sorry."

She sighs. "It's fine. Just relax. If the worst happens I suppose I can just clean it up."

I weak laugh escapes me. "Wouldn't that be something? Thrown up on by your queen. My political career would be ruined before it's even started."

A small smile. "Indeed."

"I…" I look away. "I-I'm sorry about that… I don't know what came over me."

"I think I might."

I blink. "I- I'm sorry?"

She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. Either way, it's no bother, I assure you."

I still couldn't look at her right, instead, I settle on her feet. "Are you sure? I… I shouldn't have suddenly… unloaded like that on you. I-I shouldn't have even brought it up. I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." She says firmly. "I told you that you could confide in me, this is but a part of that. No matter what it is, I was well aware of my promise to let you speak your mind to me."

"…"

Well what can I say to that?

Nothing, of course. This is just… I don't even know what this is. I still feel dizzy, my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest and I feel like I'm sweating up a storm.

I need… I just need a moment.

"So," I clear my throat. "How much is there left to do with my… my shoulder."

She shakes her head. "I have already finished."

"You-" I blink. "You have?"

I tilt my head to see that yes, it's already done. My shoulder has been wrapped in clean bandages, somehow without me noticing.

Huh…

"I…Thank you Weiss."

"You're welcome your majesty but…" she sighs, standing up and resting her hands on her hips. She runs a critical eye over her handiwork.

It makes me squirm.

"I did the best I could but obviously I am no miracle worker. This might take months to heal, and even when it does, I doubt it will ever be the same as it once was. Wounds like this are of the permanent kind."

That… is disconcerting. I don't like the way my stomach drops at the news of something like that. A permanent mark? Did that mean my arm would always have this…. Stiffness to it that I was feeling? Would it get better? Worse?

It… it had to have been fixed, right? I saw no signs of it on Rose, even when she fought.

…Perhaps that was a question for her.

"Hey," I say suddenly. "Can I ask… why you wanted to know so much about Yang? You seem kind of focused on her with everything I was saying."

There's a pause, as a range of emotions passes over Weiss' face. For a moment, I'm not sure if she'll answer, but after a time, she does.

"I'm… not entirely sure… I… think it's curiosity mostly. I'm… curious about her. Right now, that's all I can really say. It was…a ridiculous thought."

Her words sound honest, which is strange, because it feels like I'm missing something, I _know_ I'm missing something… but… looking at Weiss, it feels like she might be too.

Before I can ask, there's a knock on the door.

"Hey, are you two alright in there?" Yang's muffled voice comes through.

"We're fine." I call back. "We've just finished up."

"Good, because we've got a guest here. The captain guy's here, and he's got some news for us."

Weiss turns to me. "It would be best for us to go see him then."

"Right," I nod, then, cough. "Couldn't you uh, turn around while I get this back on?"

I'm dressed a few minutes later with no further complications, and we return to the main room. As Yang has told us, Port was there, standing upright in a salute, though I don't know if how long he'd been holding that.

"Your majesty!" He pounds. "It is relieving to see you in good health. I true Lieutenant Schnee has been a good host?"

Weiss coughs into her fist, and my mind is brought back to when she'd been a little too ready to run Yang through.

"She's been wonderful." I smile, deciding that really, I probably shouldn't think about it too hard.

Yang yawns, falling down onto the couch and kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

I see Weiss twitch.

"We've been good." My sister tells him "So why are you here captain? Came to check up on us?"

"Much more than that fortunately. Please, let us sit."

He nods gesturing to the seats. We take them, Yang moving a little to let me sit beside her. Weiss I feel rather pointedly does not. She pulls up another chair and sits on it.

My sister blinks.

"Now then," the lieutenant says. "What is it you came to speak to us about Captain? You said it was good?"

"Indeed," he says, reaching into his pocket and revealing a… letter.

Surprisingly, he hands it to me. I look down at it in confusion.

"It's unmarked?" Weiss chips in, peering over my shoulder at it. On my other side Yang does the same with albeit less interest.

"For discretion," Port explains. "Its sender wished for it to be less noticeable than it otherwise would be, though he took a risk either way."

I glance at him curiously, then after a moment, decide to take a look.

A single page, with elegant writing in a dark ink.

The first thing I see is a symbol.

Gears.

I take in a breath.

"Ozpin?" I gasp. "He sent me a letter?"

"It appeared on my desk." Port confirms. "I had left my office for but a moment and when I returned it was there."

"But-" I swallow. "Why? Why risk it if there's so much secrecy around this?"

"Perhaps you should read it," Weiss suggests not unkindly. "I'm sure you will learn as to why by the time you have."

Right, of course. I nod to her, ignoring how dry my lips are all of a sudden, and read aloud.

 _To the last Rose, the rightful heir._

 _Your majesty, I am relieved to find that you are safe._

 _It seems that my summons of you has caused you hardship in such a short time. I wish to rectify this, and to see through this meeting. While ideally you should appear before the council, steps must first be taken._

 _As of your entrance into the city I have been working on a plan to aid in your succession to the throne._

 _However, there are aspects of this that cannot be done without you here._

 _And, there is a matter of your safety_

 _I have been made aware by my spies that an attempt was made on your life. Such things must not be allowed to happen again._

 _I believe that you will be safer under my watch._

 _My companion agrees with me._

 _It is time that we met in person._

 _I have arranged for a place where you may see just what it is I can offer._

 _Come to the Stormways, on the western side of Beacon's cliffs._

 _I will meet you there on this night, and hope that this action will bear fruitful._

 _Regards, loyal servant to the crown, Ozpin Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs_

The ensuing silence is a long, awkward one. I look up from the letter, around to the people watching me. Port looks suddenly serious, as if for all the grandiose he exuded, this was far more than that. There was a look in his eyes, calculating.

Weiss, on the other hand, looks pale, just as she did when she first found out who I was. Somethings going through her head, something I don't understand.

Why does that fill me with dread?

"That was… definitely a thing." Yang mutters, and I can't help but agree. "So what do we do then?"

"What can we do?" Weiss hisses. "Lord Ozpin has _actually_ summoned her majesty, this is really happening!"

"Is it?" I swallow. I'm nervous all over again, as a thousand scenarios run through my mind. "It could be a trap for all we know. Someone could have just left that letter there in hopes we'd walk right into an ambush!"

"And if it's not?" The lieutenant challenges me. "This meeting has already been decided. If you do not show and it _is_ a proper meeting you might let your chances to see him slip away."

"But-"

"Lieutenant Schnee is correct your majesty." Port agrees. "While there is undoubtedly a risk, there is much the same if you decide to do nothing. Every moment you don't act, assassins have a chance of finding you, and as I have said before, it is only a matter of time before they are successful. This could be your opportunity if nothing else, than to defend against that."

There's a flaw to that, the most basic of them, that being that if it _is_ a trap then I'll almost certainly be killed right then and there, then it won't even matter how long I can hide from assassins. It's ridiculous anyway. This is just… too convenient, too good to be true.

There are so many things that could go wrong.

"Yeah, but there are some things that could go right."

My head snaps up to my sister, deep into those lavender eyes of hers as she leans back against the couch.

"That's what you're thinking about, right? What could go wrong? You're right, there is, so many, enough that I almost want to just take you and run all the way back to the Tribe."

Weiss shifts uncomfortably beside me.

I glower at my sister. I already know all of this, I don't need Yang repeating it so I can panic all over again.

"But!" She adds suddenly, one finger raised. "Think of all the good that could come out of this, for you."

I frown. "Like what?"

She sends me a look. "Rubes, if this is the real deal then it'll be the start of getting you back the crown. Do you know what that means? As queen you'll be the one in control. You'll have an entire army to protect you."

"W-what?"

"That's what royalty has doesn't it? That's what you'll have. All of the Vales forces have to listen to you. That means no more knights to be afraid of for one. You'll have people to protect you from assassins and you might just make an actual difference."

The images of a dead land come crashing into my mind. Of Yang, of Weiss, both dead.

Damn it. I know I don't have a choice in this. Can't I still be scared?

Weiss crosses her arms at Yang little speech. "I think you are unaware of what a ruler's duties really are. It's not as simple as you make it out to be."

Yang grins at her. "Yeah, but It'll be the start of the good life right?"

Yang blinks at the scowl she receives from the white-haired girl.

"I've made my decision."

They stop, turning to me. I in turn, look to Port.

"Where are these Stormways he mentioned, can you take me there?"

Port nods, his face cut from rock, firm, serious.

"I can."

* * *

…

…

* * *

That night, the four of us make our way through the city. Our bodies are wrapped in cloaks, our faces covered by hoods. Port holds a lantern before him, illuminating the streets as nights watch patrol them. They send us a few suspicious, questioning looks, but once they see Port and Weiss, decide that things must be in order and leave us alone. For that, I'm lucky.

I don't like this, the night in the city. Everything's too quiet for the atmosphere. No birds, no ambience, no rustle of trees or grass. Instead, a bark from some rabid dog a few streets down and an otherwise oppressive silence is my companion.

Our footsteps sound far, far too loud, and I keep checking over my shoulder every so often for fear of a knife in my back.

Instead, I see Yang and Weiss.

They've decided to bring up the rear while Port leads.

Weiss has her armour, and sabre at her side, Yang, her knuckledusters.

I'm not sure exactly how far we are from these Stormways Ports was bringing us too, but Beacons cliffs were still well away.

In the silence, Yang and Weiss converse.

"…Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"…Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Aw come on snow angel, don't be shy."

Weiss didn't turn, but her eyes did flicker in Yang's direction. "Why are you calling me that? You referred to me as such last time as well."

"What, don't like it?"

"Not particularly? Though my irritation is outweighed by my curiosity at the moment."

My sister shrugs. "Dunno, no real reason for it. It's easy to remember, and I feel like it fits you. Don't you?"

"How so?"

"Come on," she laughs. "If you went out in the snow I'm pretty sure I'd lose you."

"Tch, that's it?"

"Pretty much. I mean, I'm better with faces than I am with names, and you can bet there were a lot of them in the Tribe, so snow angel's something to go by, easy to think of. Why do you think I call my sis Rubes?"

"A… familial term?" Weiss stares at her. "Are you seriously telling me you can't remember your own… sisters' name?"

Yang sent her an eye roll. "Of course I can, just not right on the spot." She pauses, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. "It uh… takes me a second sometimes. My heads filled with all this other stuff bouncing around. Bothering to remember somebodies name takes work, so when I'm having a conversation I just go with something more natural."

"One would thing Weiss is easier to remember than _snow angel,_ " She responds dryly. "It as a fewer syllables for one."

"Yeah but it's not the first thing that pops into my head when I see you," Yang grins. "Don't ask how my brain works, it just is how it is."

Weiss' response was to sigh loudly.

"…So?"

"Hm?"

"What did you want to ask me?" Yang presses. "You've got me all thinking about it now."

Weiss looks away. "You don't want to hear it, I assure you."

"I can be the judge of that."

Weiss gnaws at her lips for a moment. Eventually, it seems she's worked up the courage to say what on her mind.

Her voice is low.

"It's about your… magic."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I've… been thinking on it, what you showed me and… I'm… I'm not sure if I'm, entirely comfortable with it."

…Oh.

"Oh." Yang reiterated verbally. Something passes by her face, though it's gone before I can place it. Her next words sound measured. "Is there… anything you don't like about it in particular?"

"It's… it's not that." She grimaces. "I just… what I saw was eye-opening, there is no argument there… but that still leaves the question of what exactly magic is, and…. And as to what end it should be used."

Yang frowns. "You don't like the way I use it?"

"I-I didn't say that."

"But it's what you meant."

Weiss' silence is telling.

"Wow," Yang scoffs. "And after last night I thought you were okay with it. Guess I should have seen this coming."

"I-I don't have a problem with you using it if your life is in _danger_ ," Weiss argues. "It's just that- I don't think you should- I don't know how to say it."

"Easy, just come out and say what you mean." I'm lucky I'm facing away from them with my face covered so they can't see my wince. Yang's voice has taken an altogether sharper edge.

Weiss notices. "Listen, I don't mean to offend you but… one show of magic not doing harm doesn't mean that centuries of Atlas teachings are wrong. I understand you can use it to protect yourself, but perhaps that's _all_ it should be used for then, not as… frivolously as you did before. Can't you just… not use it? Is it really that important?"

Uh-oh. Now she's gone and said it. Should I run for cover?

' _ **Probably a good idea in all honesty'**_

"Are you- are you serious?" Yang's scowl is dark as it is angry. "Magic is a part of me Weiss. What, you want me to just get rid of a piece of me? Push it down and ignore it because _you_ don't like it?"

"You don't understand Yang, surely you see that there is a reason Magic is outlawed in Atlas. When I said it went against law and Order I was speaking true. I understand now that it does not make you _innately_ evil for using it, but surely you can see the danger that lays down that path."

"Oh I see it alright, I see that you can take one look at something you can't so and get jealous of it."

"Jealous?!" Weiss screeches, and I wince at how the sound bounces around the walls. "You think I'm jealous of you?"

"Of course you are. That why people take things. They see that other people have things that they don't have and want to destroy it, to make others feel as miserable as they do. You're just like that. You see my magic and hate it because it's not yours."

"You're… you're being ridiculous."

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

"Then tell me!" Yang snaps, spinning round to face her fully. "Tell me your reasoning for seeing a part of my soul and treating it like some abomination!"

"I-I-" Weiss shook her head, I peek back and see a flash of anger ripple across her face before it's gone again in an instant.

Had… I just seen her eyes flash?

"No, my reasons are my own. Why I feel how I feel is no business of yours."

"My business!? You know what _snow angel?_ Take your business and shove it up your-

" _That's_ _enough!"_

Both of them flinch as the sound of my voice cracks through the air.

Their heads turn my way and my mind notes that this situation is a repeat of last time in Port's office.

This time, the confidence I don't feel surges up along with my anger and I send them the darkest glare I can muster. I don't know where it comes from honestly, but it must do something, because they flinch again.

This moment of weakness is my attack.

"Are the two of you so petty that you can't see the situation we're in?" There's an actual growl at the back of my throat, building there, like a pressure. The question of where it's coming from is snuffed out like a candle in my head. It doesn't matter.

' _ **It doesn't matter.'**_

"We're about to walk into a potential trap, forgetting that it's something so important it'll dictate how my life is about to go, it's still an important moment that we need to work through, and the two of you are squabbling like _children_! I've had enough! I've had enough of the two of you going back and forth between actually being tolerable and insufferable around each other."

"Oh come _on!"_ Yang scowls. "You can't seriously be saying that I'm as bad as-"

" _Yang_!" I hiss, the sound enough to shut my sister up with a click of her jaw.

My breath comes out in laboured pants, and I force myself to screw my eyes shut.

I-I don't even know where this anger is coming from.

It just… appeared out of nowhere, and it feels like my insides are on fire.

I raise a hand to my face, pinching the bridge of my nose and inhale as deeply as I can.

This is getting to me. It's getting to me more than it should that these two arguing all of a sudden, after I thought they'd put it behind them after they'd _said_ that they'd put it behind them, is maddening.

I can't deal with that, going into _whatever_ this is.

"Neither of you are to talk," I say, looking through the gaps in my fingers at them. "You won't speak unless I give you the motion to, do you understand?"

Weiss meets my eyes for a moment, I see a flare of defiance, before she suddenly realised who it is she's directing it towards, and looks away, nodding weakly.

Yang sees this, and scowls.

I can already see the wheels turning in her head.

If she speaks up now, she'll have done what Weiss hasn't and made this even harder for all of us.

It's easy to tell what she's thinking. In her mind, she can't afford to be the one that breaks first. Her lips tighten into a line, and she looks away.

I don't fail to notice how she avoids eye contact with me.

"Just-" I take a breath. "Just don't. Not now."

I ask.

Plead.

Beg even.

A range of emotions pass across my sisters' face, and she swallows.

There is no response.

"Your majesty."

I grimace, turning back to the fourth member of our group. Port is watching me.

He'd heard all of that, hadn't he? There was no way he could have missed it surely. What did he think? Why hadn't he intervened?

That spark of anger surged forward again, aimed at him now.

I catch it in time, see it coming and hold onto it, forcing it down back into the depths of my mind.

It's irrational.

Right now, I don't have time for that.

Irrational is the last thing I need.

"What is it?" I ask, hoping the edge has left my tone.

He motions ahead. I blink. We've made it to the cliffs… far faster than I had thought we would.

How had I missed that?

"The Stormways, and there, I can see a lantern."

I look in the direction he's pointing and sure enough, there's a light.

A lantern, hanging on a crook dug into the ground. A meeting point.

A beacon, if I ever saw one.

"There's nobody there." I murmur.

"Indeed." Port nods "I suspect they will wait until we are close enough for them to identify."

"That means we'll be stuck in a trap if it happens though."

Damn it. Why couldn't this have happened tomorrow night? I could have asked Rose if this all went to shit.

How could she just fail to mention this part? Was it not important enough? Did that mean it was safe?

Or did she even know whether it happened or not.

Was this a change?

"Let's go then."

Even as I take the first step forward that dread builds up inside of me.

Every step I take puts me further into the open where a swift arrow could end me, or worse, put me in the same position I'd been in just a few nights ago.

My skins tingling, waiting for it.

It never comes, instead, as I stop at the lamp, I see movement in front of me.

Weiss' hand falls to her sabre and Yang tenses up.

Ironically, I don't feel the same fear. It's as if for a moment I just shut down and it gives me a moment to assess just what's going on.

It's a man, with a dark cloak and hood to hide his identity much like us, and as he steps closer, he makes no aggressive movements.

I can see strands of white hair peeking out from under his disguise.

He stops barely ten paces from us and bows deeply.

"Your majesty."

I swallow. "I'm assuming you're no messenger…. Does that make you Lord Ozpin?"

He straightened, and I see him smile.

And suddenly I don't like him.

It's fake.

It's wrong.

It's less of what others have done, like an adult smiling patiently at a child. It wasn't politeness, tolerance or patience.

It's the smile of someone who is planning on using me to further their own goals – whatever they may be – and is prepared to deceive me to do it.

This man is trustworthy, is he Rose? That was something I'd need to find out for myself.

"Indeed," He spoke, calm, level, kind. Wrong. "I am relieved that you are well your majesty, I was worried, though I realise you already know this from my letter. Forgive me, I know this was all so sudden, but I couldn't wait to speak with you any longer. Come, there is much to be done."

I blink. "We're going somewhere? What was the point of meeting here then?"

"Because of the nature of our meeting, we needed secrecy. Though, to be more apt, we needed this place specifically because it leads somewhere else. A path to Beacon."

Weiss perks up. "There's really a passageway to the Palace? Here?"

"Indeed, it's what I made use of to come here, and what I will use to relocate us to another, more discreet conversational place."

He glances at Port. "Forgive me, but this is a conversation that I believe should be held between her majesty and I. The more that hear of it, the more dangerous it becomes."

The captain nods. "I suspected as much. Far be it from me to intrude here. I should return to my post anyway. If I'm required, you'll know where to find me." He turns to me, and bows. I nod in return and mouth a 'thank you'.

He shoots me a wink.

And makes his leave.

I take a breath. "We should get going then, right?"

"Yes but…" his eyes flicker to Yang and Weiss behind me. "As I said, this is a consversation between you and I. others should not be involved your grace."

My eyes harden.

So he wants me to just go with him alone?

Not a chance.

There was no way, even with inexplicable future visions telling me otherwise, that I was going to trust this man enough to go off alone with him, right into the literal lion's den no less.

I'd just met him, and from the feeling I got from him, this… disingenuousness, I wasn't about to screw everything up.

"My apologies Lord Ozpin, but my sister and lieutenant Weiss are staying by my side. As much hospitality as you're showing me, I would rather not part from my companions."

That sounded regal and diplomatic right? Something a queen in power would say?

Hell if I know, but it's what I'm running with!

Lord Ozpins eyes show surprise, shock even, and linger slightly on my sister a bit too long for me not to notice, though I think that might only be because I'm looking for something in his mask to break. It doesn't look like either of the others see the same.

In fact, I can practically feel Weiss' eyes on me.

I glance at her in the corner of my eye. She looks taken aback, from the looks of it she'd already been moving – reluctantly – away when Ozpin had suggested she do so. She's frozen in place for a moment, before she puffs out her chest slightly.

Proudly.

The Lord doesn't look all too pleased.

"Your majesty… I… think it would be best if-"

Nope, cutting him off before he can get started.

"Lord Ozpin," I sigh, purposefully putting on a show of looking exasperated and annoyed at the situation. "You said so yourself that there was a risk coming here. Even now with every second we stand there is more of a chance of something going wrong. I would prefer if we moved on instead of wasting time unnecessarily."

Gah! What was I saying!? If I act all superior to him he could get angry! What would I do if he suddenly decided I wasn't worth the trouble!?

No! I'd already jumped! I needed to stick the landing!

"Forgive me," I sigh again, this time acting guilty. "But there have been attempts on my life consecutively ever since I left home. I would feel much more comfortable with them around. Would you please allow it my Lord?"

Now, it's his turn to sigh. "I understand. Very well. I suppose it makes no difference either way, and if you truly trust them with this, I shall not reject them." He pauses as if waiting for me to take back what I said and go with him alone. When I don't he turns away. "Come, there is a passage just up ahead. I think it time for you to meet at least some of your supporters."

Yes. It was.

It was time to really go through with this.

Wherever that might lead me.

* * *

...

 **Well don't worry Ruby, it couldn't be that bad could it?**

 **Wait, no, of course it could, RUN girl!**

 **You know, writing that first dream squeence in this chapter to Blood and Stone was a good idea, but the GS rightfully op for the sest of it probably wasn't the best headspace for nice and peaceful moments.**

 **There will be no goblins here, I assure you.**

 **There's something you should remember, if you want a scene to be write with some kind of emotion or feeling, do it to music that matches.**

 **Although you probably already know that.**

 **A bit of along chapter, but I wanted to introduce Ozpin in this on so I could move right onto the goodstuff without hurting the pacing. We'll see how that works out yeah?**


	8. Act 1: Part 7

**...**

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _They say that nothing can rival the might of Atlas. There are a lot of things those ones boast about, but that at least, I believe is true. I saw their fighters on the field once. A trio of knights had joined up with our battalion in an expedition east many years ago. We weren't too happy at first, thinking they were making a mockery of our commitment by sending such a small group. How wrong we were. We were ambushed by those Fanatics of Mistral. They'd sailed north in search of something - I never found out what -_ _and saw us as enemies. They outnumbered us two to one. We weren't prepared for a fight. I didn't know what to do, neither did my lieutenant colonel. The Atlesian's took charge. What I saw that day was mythical. While we fought the majority under their orders, I witnessed it, three knights, against a hundred men. They butchered every last one of them. Even now, training up whelps like these, I don't think I'll ever see a Valean that deadly. Those Atlesian's did something to their people, something I don't understand._

 _I'm just glad they're on our side._

 _\- The West Vale Military divisions Drill Instructor commandant, recounting his younger years as a soldier to his subordinates._

 _..._

The walls around me are damp, old and unkept.

Their close, almost uncomfortably close. I know this was supposed to be some sort of secret passageway, but for it to almost be impossible to move in the tight space is ridiculous.

And it's dark. I can barely see five feet ahead of me.

Just about, I can make out Ozpin's back as he leads me through the tunnel. His hoods still up, and I can see his face, but there's something to him. He's thinking. I don't know what exactly, but his presence makes me uneasy.

Is it because he's a noble? Because he has power over the masses? Maybe, I would have that eventually too though, wouldn't I?

I must just be me, because Yang and Weiss haven't acted like he's a threat. They look at him suspiciously, but no more than I'd expect of a stranger.

In fact, Yang looks more bored of his presence than anything, like she's waiting for him to get a move on and actually start explaining things.

Weis look nervous, more by the fact that she's in proximity than anything he's done.

Is she uncomfortable around nobles? That would be a bad quality for a knight if that was the case. Could it be something else? Could she just not trust him the same way I couldn't?

No. likely not. Whatever was going through her mind, I'm not privy to, but the look on her face is cold, and her hand has found the pommel of her sabre again, like she's waiting for something to go wrong.

I wish I could ask her what she's thinking right now, but in Lord Ozpins presence I'd feel self-conscious about it.

She might not even give me a straight answerer anyway. Neither her nor my sister has spoken since my outburst earlier. It felt like they'd taken my order not to speak to heart…and then ran a mile with it.

Neither of them had said _anything_ and it was worrying me. Couldn't they give even a passing comment on what was going through their heads?

I sigh, turning to Ozpin's back with a deadpan expression. I guess that's the consequence of snapping at people.

That whole rant of mine had been unnecessary and I was paying for it now. I'd have to do something about that later, hopefully after coming out of this meeting in one piece.

That being said…

"These… other supporters." I speak slowly, hiding my wince at how my voice echoes off the craped walls. "Who would they be exactly? Are they on the Regent council like you?"

"Indeed," He answers. "While I am unable to have you meet with all of them, there is one in particular who has been able to slip away tonight."

I frown. "Slip away? Why would they need to do that? Is there something going on?"

He nods. "The Regent council has gathered members to deliberate a growing problem from Vacuo, stirrings of rebellion from what I've heard. It could be nothing, but many fear it a bad Omen to just ignore."

I fill the mention of rebellion into the back of my mind for the moment, it's definitely something important, but right now I can't afford to get distracted by it. "So what exactly does the Regent council do? What goes on there?"

I expect an answer, so when instead I see him wave a hand dismissively, I blink.

"You do not need to worry about that right now your majesty. We should focus on one thing at a time yes?"

My eyes narrow. Maybe it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I'd expected a clear answer. Every time I'd spoken to someone who'd used my title, it had been with respect. They'd done what I told them without question.

Not this man.

Was it because he was a Lord that he acted the way he did? Technically, at the moment he had more clout than me. That was how it worked wasn't it? Since I was just a princess right now, he was higher than me.

Likely, he didn't expect me to pull him on it either. I needed him after all.

Or was I missing something?

He stops suddenly, and I plant my feet down quickly as to not walk into his back.

"We are here." He tells me, and a peek over his shoulder reveal to me a wooden door at the top of a stairwell. "Just a little bit further your majesty. We can discuss the situation from there."

I say nothing. I don't think he's expecting an answer, so I don't give him one.

He makes his way up, and I throw a glance behind me at Yang and Weiss.

I get nothing from the lieutenant, but my sister, seeing my plea for at least some advice, recognises my situation.

Unfortunately all she does is send me a shrug as if to say 'just go with it?'

Well thanks, that's totally helpful now isn't it Yang?

My footsteps echo up the steps, and the door creaks as Ozpin fishes out a set of keys and unlocks it. We step through the moment after and he shuts it behind Weiss as she enters last.

My eyes flicker around me.

"This…"

Is a small room. It almost looks like a study or something. A dome-shaped ceiling and shelves lining the walls. There's a desk at one side with a lit lantern already set.

It doesn't look all to special, but it's at last bigger than the halls I'd just been in, so I'll take it as a win.

"It is a small study." Lord Ozpin informs us. "There are many throughout beacon. This is one of the simpler ones. Its real purpose is hiding that passage we just entered from. Other than that, its insignificance means it is unlikely for someone to discover us here."

Okay, some good news at least.

"So," I hear Weiss murmur, looking around though not really finding anything. All the same, she looks awed even at this tiny room. "We're really inside the palace?"

I blink. Oh, that's right. Rivers had mentioned that Beacon was closed off to all but the Regent council and their people.

I glance back to Ozpin.

Wait did I… yes, I caught that. He'd hidden a frown behind that smile of his again. Aimed at Weiss now? Why?

"That is correct." He says. "You should feel privileged lieutenant… it has been years since a foreigner has been allowed to truly step foot inside of Beacon."

I hide my frown. That wasn't even slightly veiled, and I'm not the only one who notices. Weiss flinches and looks down at the floor, and even Yang's lips curl down.

Before I can say anything however, the door on the other side of the study clicks open.

It's sudden enough that I almost jump, but by the way Lord Ozpin turns and nods I realise he'd been expecting it.

"Glynda." He greets. "Good to see you, you're early."

Glynda, the name is stored in my head as I take her in: she's a tall woman, with blonde hair tied up in a bun and spectacles over emerald eyes. They're sharp, intimating even. This woman looks like she could snap me in half just from a look, and the rich embroidery she wears doesn't detract from the… _hardness_ of her.

She sends her fellow noble an unamused look. "Yes Ozpin, I am. I desired to be punctual. I thought we had agreed to meet her majesty together. Was there suddenly a change of plans that I missed?"

He smiles at her. "It must have been that. Though, I was actually looking for a few moments to speak with her alone."

The woman raises an eyebrow, eyes scanning over Weiss and Yang. "It seems you were never going to get that, does it?"

"…"

Her eyes find me, find my eyes and she dips her head deeply. "Your majesty. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. It is a pleasure to finally speak with you."

There's a pause. Oh, right! This is the part where I'm supposed to talk.

"L-likewise," I cough, clearing my throat. "I… well, I suppose you already know who I am. You're um… the companion Lord Ozpin was talking about?"

"I am." She confirms. "Though there are some others, I was the only one capable of slipping out unnoticed at this time… though I suspect that was less on chances and more a certain someone's doing."

Ozpin smiles. "I'm certain I have no idea what you mean Glynda."

The woman rolls her eyes, though she doesn't look amused by his words one bit.

"It means nothing now, we should be discussing the plan."

Right that.

"Um, about that." I wince, scratching the back of my head. "I uh… haven't really been filled in on what exactly the… _plan_ is, like at all. Is this a good time to start filling us in or…?"

Lady Goodwitch's eyes flicker to the duo behind me again. "Us as in all those present in the room you mean?"

Again, my eyes harden. Was this going to be a common thing?

"Yes." I do my best to keep my voice steady. "Whatever this plan is, it's going to involve exposing me to people. If that's the case, it'd like my sister and Lieutenant Schnee to be a part of this."

"Sister?" The look of surprise on her face isn't hidden, neither is the way she blatantly stares at Yang.

The fact that I mentioned them specifically is taken as good enough for my sister, she raises a hand and waves it slightly. "Hey."

Goodwitch looks like she's bitten down on something sour.

Aw… Just when I was starting to like her. She'd been doing so much better than Ozpin right up until this point.

To her credit, she does her best to save the moment by coughing int her fist. "Well, it is good to hear that you trust these… individuals your majesty. Now then, let us get started, shall we?"

I nod, as does Ozpin as he puts his hands together.

"The plan is a rather simple one, something less likely to go wrong than an overly complicated one. Last night, I sent out a call for the Regent council to meet. Most have already arrived but tomorrow morning is when we shall act. Put simply, we are going to reveal you to the council your majesty, and stake your claim on the throne."

"I stare. Waiting for the rest. When none comes, I blanch. Weiss puts my thoughts into words.

"That's it!?" The swordswoman blurts out. "You can't be serious! That just puts Ru- her majesty in unnecessary danger!"

"I assure you lieutenant, such things have been considered."

I force my features not to twist at how dismissive he is to Weiss' words, nor to turn and comfort Wiess as she flinches back again.

It's hard though, as hard as it is not to snap at this man for his constant sharpness with the lieutenant.

"Weiss is right." I say. "There must be more to it than that."

There _has_ to be.

"I mean, what would that even accomplish? All I can see it doing is letting every assassin know that I'm right there in front of them. I thought I was supposed to be safe keeping myself hidden. This plan is the _opposite_ of that."

He smiles at me again with that infuriating look. "I assure you your majesty, it has been well thought out. You need not concern yourself with the finer details, I have already ironed out the details behind the scenes.

Oh.

Oh… so that was it.

That's what I was feeling from this man.

He… he saw me as a child.

He was treating me like I had absolutely no clue what was going on, like I'd stumbled into this without a thought of what would happen.

And… that's how he planned on using me, wasn't it?

Children could be led, guided, coerced.

Manipulated.

' _ **A Puppet Queen? How intriguing.'**_

That was his game was it?

Did this Goodwitch woman…

I glance at her as discreetly as I can. She's shooting Ozpin an annoyed look.

She knows what he's doing. She's not pleased with it.

But she's not speaking up about it either.

Complicity?

Complacency?

Was it one or the other?

They had a plan then, but they weren't telling me what it was. They were only thinking of telling me what I had to do, thinking I would be content, or just not realise what else would be happening around me.

A good little girl, doing what she was told.

Were the royal court filled with all manner of snakes?

Did they think I was so naive?

Clearly, they must have.

I… needed to speak with Rose.

Until then though…

"Alright." I nod. "So, how many people am I going to… be talking to?"

"It's slightly more complicated than that." Glynda explains. "The Regent Council converse in the throne room. By this time tomorrow there will likely be just over a hundred in attendance."

Say what?

Oh.

Oh gods.

Yeah, I _really_ needed to talk with Rose.

"Fortunately," Ozpin hums. "I have a speech prepared. All you have to do is recite it to them tomorrow and I will take care of the rest. If you trust me on this your majesty, I assure you it will be fine."

Tch, for them maybe. I'm sure if things went wrong they could just wash their hands with me.

How much risk were they putting themselves at?

Likely I was just one way for this to work.

I wonder what would happen if this failed.

I doubted they'd be all that stirred up with someone decided to get rid of me then and there.

A small part of me wonders if I'm being overly suspicious, but no. Whether I trust River or not, I don't know this man, I don't know either of these people. I can't have that trust in _them_.

I need to pretend I do though. At least until I can work something else out.

"I think I get it." I say. "So um… do you have it… written down or anything?"

As a matter of fact, he does.

I'm given several pages, words likely curated a hundred times over by whoever worked for Ozpin. I take them, and after I'm informed that it was safer if I stayed in here, the study, until tomorrow morning as to avoid trouble, they bid me goodbye.

That leaves the three of us alone.

After a moment of silence, I sigh.

"So… thoughts on how bad this is?"

"Oh thank gods," Yang gasps as I turn to them both. "I thought for a moment you were really agreeing with them. You realise how ridiculous this is?"

"I have to agree," Weiss says, crossing her arms over her breastplate. "It puts you at a severe risk, a completely unnecessary one that we should be working to avoid."

"No argument there." I sigh.

"Apparently there is." My sister scowls. "What are they thinking? Shouldn't they be way smarter than this?"

"Probably." I scan over the speech I'd been given. "But then you have to remember they only found out about me, what, a week ago? That I was alive anyway. My guess is that this has been thrown together."

"And they're okay with a plan like this?"

"By the looks of it," I deadpan. "Honestly I think they see me as expendable. Useful, sure, but I mean, it's not like people were all to loyal around here sixteen years ago. If they were, the court would have been in more of an uproar after my mother's death."

"That's…"

I shake my head. "Nothing we can do about it now. We're in this situation and I need to get out of it. But before that I'm wondering about something."

I turn to the white-haired girl. "Weiss, what was that all about?"

Her head whips up. "I- I'm sorry? I'd I do something wrong your majesty?"

"What?" I blink, and sake my head. "No. I was talking about the way they were acting towards you. all those looks and stuff. That was… I mean it was a little overboard don't you think?"

Weiss actually _laughs_ and I frown at the bitterness of it as she smiles at me.

"Do not worry yourself over it your majesty. I suppose I saw it coming. It's well known that Valean nobility is not all too hospitable to Atlesian residents."

"Why not?"

"There is a… long history there. As I said, it's not something you should worry about. I suppose it's… an eye-opening though." She sighs remorsefully. "With a response like that just from having me in their presence, I think it's clear they would never grant me a knighthood."

That… doesn't sit well with me at all.

"Don't worry about them Weiss." I say. "Like you told me before, if you were to something deserving of a knighthood, they couldn't refuse you could they."

"…I suppose you're right." She doesn't sound like she believes it. My stomach churns. For them to act like that just because she wasn't born in Vale is…

It's definitely not right, that's for sure.

Come to think of it, from the look they were giving Yang, they might have treated her the same way if I hadn't said she was my sister.

The people of Vale…

How did they see the nomadic Tribes around them?

Was that why Rivers had been so… fascinated with Yang why he'd been so surprised at her friendliness and curiosity?

To think he had served someone like Ozpin.

"You shouldn't think about it snow angel," Yang declares all of a sudden. "They were assholes. Don't bother worrying about how assholes act around you. you're better than that."

Weiss looks surprised at Yang's words. She shouldn't be, but I can understand why, considering what they'd said to each other not twenty minutes ago.

That was just how Yang was though.

I shake my head. "Well… I think we should all get some sleep. There's not much else we can do right now anyway."

"Aren't you going to take a look over that sis?"

I glance down to the papers again.

"Later," I say. "I... think I need to sleep on stuff first."

They seem to understand that and leave it be.

There aren't any neds in the study, and I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't some sort of powerplay on Ozpin's part.

Well, jokes on him. Being a part of the Xiao-Long tribe comes with the acquired skill of sleeping anywhere!

I manage to find a semi-comfortable spot against the desk and set down. Yang does the same on the other side, though I suspect her natural heat helps her in that respect.

Weiss on the other hand looks like she's having trouble.

She'd decided not to take her armour off, and I can't blame her considering where we are, but even still she looks cold, restless.

My sister notices it too. She sighs.

"Come on, get over here Weiss."

"I… will be fine here."

Yang raises an eyebrow. "Really? You don't look it."

"I-I'm fine. Really. I don't want to bother you. I'm sure you want your space after I-"

"Don't be stupid."

"W-what?"

Yang rolls her eyes at Weiss' surprised expression. "I said don't be stupid. We all need our sleep. I already know you're not going to get any the way you are. I'm fine with it, and I know I'm comfortable. Just get over here before I drag you over myself."

"…" the lieutenant stands without a word, somewhat reluctantly moving to sit down beside my sister. As soon as she does though, she practically melts into Yang's heat. "I'm sorry about this." She mumbles.

"Don't be. We don't need to talk about it."

They do. I know for sure they do, but right now, Yang's right. Sleep should come first.

Considering who's help I need, I think it's about time.

I close my eyes and wait.

Darkness is quick to meet me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

"You know," I murmur as the wind whips up my hair. "I'm wondering how exactly this works if I end up…. Here."

"It's pretty simple really." Rose yawns, sitting on and leaning against the frame of a broken window, looking out. "Whenever these little meetings happen you end up wherever I am. It's not like I get called to you or anything, and since you're not really here, I'm pretty sure this is easier."

"I guess but… a bell tower?" I peek over the edge, looking down below at the ruined tow below. I can see beowolves prowling around, but they haven't taken notice of us yet.

The sky's still red, the land is still dead, though this time, there's no sign of Yang or Weiss. I'm glad actually. I… don't want to see those images again. I've got a feeling I will again eventually, but as long as it's not right now I'll take what I can get.

Being this high up though, it's easier to get a good look at… well, everything.

That sea of black is out there on the horizon. It might take… two, three hours maybe until it reaches here.

"It's a quiet place." She shrugs. "That'll make this easier anyway right, talking?"

"It's not even that though is it." I mutter. "How does this even work anyway? It shouldn't. I mean… if I'm talking with you then my actions are changing right? How can you know what I'm going to say if things are changing around me?"

She chuckles. "Good question. Not that I know much, but I'm guessing the fact that it's got something magic about it helps. I mean, think of it like this, I've got a… let's call it a record of what you want to ask right now in your time, stored in my head somehow. It's sort of hazy, since there's only so much the mind can handle, and this sure isn't natural, but it's what helps me talk to you even if we're having this conversation years apart. Let's just say that I've talked to lots of Roses, just as you're doing now. They were different Roses, and the things I'm saying to you will change things here."

"… you mean wipe you out?"

She grins. "Yep. Hey, I'm going to die anyway, so it's not like it matters."

That's... dark.

I want to ask how exactly that works, and I suspect she already knows that, which is why she waves it away with a hand.

"Anyway, we've got other things to worry about, don't you think?" she smirks. "Public speaking am I right?"

I let out a breath, palming my forehead as I move to lean again the wall next to her. "Ozpin's idea is ridiculous. It could get me killed!"

"Probably," she agrees. "I mean, you'd think that, but I'm here, so you know if you do nothing with the information I give you you'll still be fine."

"You sure?"

"Eh…"

"Oh that's reassuring."

"I _do_ remember the sarcasm you know?" she rolls her eyes. "Relax. I'm not actually going to waste your time here. You're right, Ozpin's idea isn't the best, but you already know it's because he was short on time. Ozpin's the sort of guy who spends years concocting the perfect plans and schemes. Us showing up wasn't something he'd predicted. It threw everything into chaos. I mean, you already know you're disposable. He'd feel bad about it if you died, but he'd feel worse losing his position. This is less risky for him."

I already know that. I didn't need it explained to me.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. In fact I can help."

"Yeah?"

"Course. Like I said, I've talked to Rose's too. Roses that went through Ozpin's plan. Some followed along, others did their own thing, and a lot of them took advice from their future selves."

I feel my eyes widen. "Wait, you mean-"

"Yep!" she laughs, pronouncing the pop sound lazily and grinning my way. "How would you like to have a speech that's been practised, modified, upgraded and perfected by a thousand Rose's?"

Feels like cheating if I'm honest with myself.

"Give it to me! Tell me everything you've got."

"Heh. I knew you'd say that."

* * *

…

…

* * *

Breath.

Stay calm.

Don't panic.

I know what to do, I just need to stay focused.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Yang's concern is appreciated. But right now, not what I need. We're just out of sight, behind a heavy curtain in a cupboard sot of rook that leads straight into the throne room. I can hear people on the other side speaking, so many voices all overlapping each other.

"Can't back out of it now, can I?"

"I told you we can run."

I shake my head. "Not anymore. We're already doing this. I want to see it through now."

"…Okay." She sighs heavily. "Did you look over what that Ozpin guy give you?"

"Sure."

"…Ruby," Yang sends me a nervous look. "Please tell me you looked at it."

Before I can say anything, Ozpin and Glynda appear with Weiss following behind.

"It's time." He tells me. "Not all of the members are here, we are absent a dozen or so, but right now that could work to our advantage. It's a lull in the discussion, we can use that."

"The two of you will come with me." Glynda tells Yang and Weiss. "I have a balcony where we can observe in discretion."

Yang's face twists slightly. "I'd rather be with her."

"Not possible I'm afraid."

He doesn't sound it.

"Her Majesty needs to appear alone and resolute. Do not worry, as long as she says what she should, there is nothing to fear."

I purposefully ignore the look my sister sends me in that regards.

"So when do we start?"

He nods to Glynda, who does the same in return and gestures to the side. "Come, this way."

Yang does so reluctantly, mouthing a 'good luck' my way.

I note that Weiss sends me a look of her own too.

I meet her eyes and nod, hoping that's enough for now.

A moment later, they're gone, leaving just two.

Ozpin and me… Alone.

Exactly what I didn't want.

I take a breath.

He must mistake that for nervousness because he smiles at me.

"Do not worry your majesty. Just stay the plans course and everything will be fine."

Oh yes, I want to say sarcastically, that plan where I parrot lines to a group of people who want me dead and nothing else. No scheming, no hidden work on my end, just speaking like a good girl doing what she's told.

I nod. "Right."

He turns away and gestures me to follow as he enters the throne room.

I blink back the sudden change of light-

And just… _take it all in…_

Before me is a long walk of red carpet, leading in a straight line, trimmed with gold on a marble floor, up to a raised landing and a silver throne with a high back on top. It's stunning, even from here I can make out the detail on it, the carvings and patterns of thorns and flowers.

It was slightly overshadowed though, by the gears.

Great, clockwork gears on both my left and right, holding up rows of balcony's that in turn held dozens of people. They sat over even the Throne, looking down on all those who walked up to it.

I see. Those gears moved them, retracted them when they weren't in use.

The craftsmanship, I have to admit, is remarkable, even if slightly fantastical.

I notice though that it looks… slightly out of place, like it hadn't originally been a part of the design.

It had been added then?

I wasn't sure how I felt about that, though, I guess it's better than someone sitting on the throne, or worse, getting rid of it.

My eyes fall to that chair again, and on a second look I can see… something at its bottom. On the marble around it, spirals, making their way into the silver chair. What could that be for?

Hmm… if I remember correctly, The Beacon was supposed to be directly above the throne.

Everything's gone quiet.

"Lord Ozpin," A man on the stands above says. "You have returned. You said there was something that needed to be discussed. What is it?"

"Lord Stone," he nods back as he continues his path on the way to the throne. My hood is still up as I follow him, but even then, I gulp at the eyes I can feel on me. Most don't seem to care, assuming me a servant of his, but some are interested. "Kind of you to ask. There is something indeed, something of great importance I believe. I bring someone of importance… it would be a mistake to ignore it."

"It's not one of those missionaries from Mistral again is it?" A woman groans irritably.

"It is not Lady Coppersmith. Well… I feel it would be better for her to introduce herself rather than have me explain it."

Once again, he turns to me and this time, bows.

 _That_ gets my attention, and I can already hear the confused whisperings. Putting me on the spot eh?

He parts a moment later, and I see him make his way through a door and a moment later up to the balcony where Glynda is. I can just make out Yang and Weiss, and only because I'm searching for them.

"Well?" The Lord from before grunts. "Reveal yourself already."

Oh, right, they'd fallen into silence during my musings, and they still couldn't see my face.

Slowly, I look around taking in my surrounding. Already, I can see Ozpin nodding to himself, lips moving as he mouths his speech to himself, wait for me to begin it.

Yeah, about that.

A hundred faces, all blending in together. If I divide my attention amongst them I'll lose the weight of my words, same if I only chose one. Rose had been adamant that I pick two and stick with them, preferable tow on opposite sides of the room.

Stone and Coppersmith, those will have to do.

It's time then, to take action.

I move.

In the corner of my vision, Ozpin already looks confused. He'd told me to reveal myself right in front of them, pull off my hood and show my face.

Rose had given me another way of doing that.

They all watch was a stride up to the throne, turn.

And sit upon it.

The gasps of shock come as expected.

"What is this!?" Coppersmith stands. "This is- Ozpin! Who do you use to show such disgrace! Guards!"

Men in armour move to apprehend me.

I'd known they would.

"That would be a poor choice of action." I speak, and from the throne, my voice carries over them all. It silences them and gives the armed men pause. Was that a part of it? Most likely, my voice shouldn't have been heard otherwise.

"After all," I continue. "If you were to _apprehend_ me as you say, people might question why you would treat the Heir apparent in such a manner."

I roll my neck in a move made to look casual, as if I'm getting comfortable in my spot, but in fact, lets my hoof fall back, and reveals my face.

There are no gasps this time.

The silence is like a hammer.

Someone has to break it though, and they do, with a whisper of _impossible_.

It is the only thing heard in the room, isolated enough for me to answer.

"Not quite it seems. I am here before you after all, and rather underwhelmed to be honest."

"W-wha-" One man stumbles on Lord Stones side of the room. "What is this? What is going on?!"

I tilt my head. "Oh? Is it not obvious? I, Ruby Rose, daughter of Summer Rose and last of royal descent, have come to reclaim what is rightfully mine."

"That's impossible!" Another exclaims. "You- the princess perished long ago!"

"Did she?" I hum, marvelling inwardly at how even that carries. "Who was it that confirmed that? I would like to meet them. In fact, who was it that confirmed the death of my mother? From what I believe, the fact that she did not return was the only proof given."

Whispers amongst them fill the room. I let them, leaning back against the throne.

I need to appear confident, arrogant even, as if I see myself above them all.

One show of weakness, one mistake, and I'd be fed to the lions.

It was a pit of snakes, betrayers, schemers and just opportunists.

Rose told me I need to appeal to the last of that trio.

If I acted like I knew what I was doing, or at least that I would suddenly shake things up then they'd be more likely to throw their support my way.

I need to guarantee that, but right now, I need to wait for their response.

There were four or five they could give, not all positive, but all planned for.

Hundreds upon hundreds of Roses had experienced this meeting, each and everyone had compounded their knowledge. I may have only spoken to one, but for some reason, it was as if I'd made contact with all of them in that moment, at least until the vision had ended and Rose had thrown herself from the bell tower.

The sound of her neck snapping still echoes in my head, and I close my eyes. I need to dispel that. It's not relevant right now.

It is Lady Coppersmith who is the first to speak, is she going to be a recurring individual then?

"This seems, forgive us your… majesty, too fantastical to be truth. Surely the princess would have returned years ago if she had truly survived."

A careful approach. She'd still called me by a royal title while casting doubt at it.

That was the fourth scenario.

"Perhaps," I agree. "After all, what child wouldn't want to reclaim their home, something so cruelly ripped away from them, along with her parents. Unfortunate, it seemed that she still needed to overcome dangerous obstacles; assassins, traitors and deception to name a few."

I stand, pacing back and forth slowly, head held high, looking as relaxed as possible.

No, not quite. Rose had known that wouldn't be possible with so many eyes on me, I couldn't manage that.

Instead, she'd instructed me to look troubled, thoughtful and dark, as if a storm was billowing in my mind, like I wanted to make people suffer for their sins.

Nobles, she'd told me, had very imaginative minds when it came to how someone could be a threat to them, boarding on near insane paranoia apparently.

I was going to use that, in the worst way imaginable…

But first.

"As is stands today, I have already had to deal with such people. Ambushes, knives to my throat, and the like. It seems that some at least, knew of my arrival. Or… were coincidently capable of finding me right as I decided it was time to return home."

Home.

I had to keep using that word, stake my claim, make it clear where I stood, what I wanted to them, while weaving other things in the background, set the groundwork in their imagination.

A few in the stands look nervous. Anyone of them could be the culprit, but they could just be nervous. Maybe they'd thought about it themselves, or maybe they were just worried they'd be accused of it.

I raise my voice just a little bit more.

"I wonder… why would you be so surprised that I am here, forgetting the likely hood that I had died, to see me is believing, isn't it? All you need to do is look int my eyes and the truth is there. Perhaps that is the issue. Many of you likely believed the Rose line had run dry."

I look their way, taking them in and shooting the cockiest smirk I can manage.

It must be effective, because in the corner of my eye, I can see Ozpins balcony.

Oh boy.

The two nobles look like they can't believe what they're seeing, or what they're hearing. They must be panicking on the inside, because the two that aren't as experienced at hiding things clearly show it.

Weiss looks down at me as if I've grown horns, sprouted wings and started breathing fire all at once.

Clearly, this isn't what she'd expected from me.

Yang?

She looks like she's about to pass out.

"I am not suggesting you are not who you say you are your majesty," Lord Stone says." But you must allow us a moment, this is quite a shock to all of us I'm sure."

"It must be," I agree. "After all, what must it mean for all of you now that I am here?"

Silence.

The tension's suddenly racked up.

Just as Rose said it would be.

Now all that was left was…

Gods. Was I really going to do this?

"What…" Another face trails. "Are you suggesting your majesty."

Who am I kidding? Of course I am. I've already jumped. I've already figured out how to land.

I just needed to plant down on my two feet.

I stop moving, I draw myself to my full height, usually not very intimating, but here, on this stage, in front of all these people, I know my presence is felt.

My words carry through.

"Retribution." I warn, eyes roaming over them with an ironclad look. "Here sat amongst you are the traitors who carried out my mother's downfall, who turned against your Queen and betrayed your people. At first, I had considered simply seeking revenge on those people. Now however, I have decided that those of you who allowed such a tragedy to occur are just as guilty."

The shock is palpable. A few of them have sprung to their feet, while others look around frantically, trying to figure out just what it is I'm saying trying to figure out what others are doing.

They're panicked. They feel as if I've suddenly backed them into a corner, that I'm threatening them.

In reality, it's the other way around. I push forward

"This Regent council is but a farce. A gathering of fools failing to rule a kingdom. Here we are, the weakest of the four kingdoms, the once mighty Vale, now nothing but a whimpering beast on its last leg, desperately trying to stay afloat in a sea of our enemies. Even from the outside, I have seen enough. For your failure, I have come to the decision to remove it, remove all of you from your power."

Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.

All eyes on me now.

All knives pointed at my back.

I've appointed myself as the enemy, now, I need allies.

"I will tear down this disgrace of a council, and with it, you who have left it to fester. All of it will be destroyed, eradicated, whipped from the history books, lest it taints our lines with this debacle. The question… is whether you may survive this."

And just like that, I freeze them all.

They'd been ready to call for their men, to kill me right then and there.

Rose had warned me on dragging it out, that I might just receive an arrow between the eyes for it the consequences be damned.

Not now though.

Now I had them listening.

I was giving them an out.

"I am not an unreasonable queen. I am aware that in a sea of voices, the ones that could have succeeded have been drowned out. To snuff out the chances of all of you would be unfair. As such, I offer an opportunity. A gift. Simply put, it is time that you prove just what it is you can offer me."

I spread my arms wide out in front of me, eyeing them imperiously.

"Your duty above all else it to your queen. Offer me not only your loyalty, not only your services and your word, but prove to me that you can be of use. I will rebuild Vale, as those of you that aid me in this, shall stay in their seats of power. Nobility for all of you it seems has been a birthright, not a gift to thank for. Well, it is time I exercise my birthright, and that you understand just what a privilege has been given to you."

I turn my back to them.

A clear message.

Goading them to try something.

I know they will.

As I know it won't be now.

It would be an insane move honestly, to suddenly make myself a threat to them, to intimidate them like this.

If Rose hadn't told me how they would react.

A reach the throne, sitting in it once again and resting my chin on one hand arrogantly.

Tomorrow, I will declare my coronation. All of Vale will know of my return as a light The Beacon, and from there, everything you know will change. At this time, all that I ask you is what choice you will make regarding it… I suspect that many of you will not be returning to this court."

I wave a hand. "All of you are dismissed. Do not approach me until after the coronation."

I smile. "I welcome your backing."

And prepare myself for your wrath.

* * *

…

…

* * *

"Are you mad!?"

I sigh, leaning back into the throne. I have to admit, for being made out of silver off all things, it's surprisingly comfy.

It does a little to help alleviate the headache I feel coming on as Ozpin stands before me with a look on his face none too pleased and all the way panicked. Goodwitch is very much the same, though to a lesser degree. I can see why; after all she wasn't the one who'd introduced me to people who could become her enemies.

"I don't believe so, why do you ask?"

"Are you- do you have any idea what you've done!?" He's pacing back and forth in front of me, shaking his head. "All you had to do was recite the speech I had laid out for you. You ignored it! We had a plan!"

"No, _you_ had a plan." I respond evenly. "One that had me follow along like a good little girl."

He stops. "What?"

I make a show of rolling my eyes.

The act isn't finished yet.

"Do you think me so dull that I couldn't see how little risk you put yourself in? Or how this plan of yours had me acting as a pawn for you?" I shake my head. "No, I had a better plan."

"And _this_ was it?!"

"it was."

"Uh, no offence sis," My sister glazes at me nervously. "But I think I must be missing something because I don't have a clue what your plan was supposed to be. You just-"

"Declared war."

The noble pair stare at me in horror.

To them, such a thing must have sounded insane.

It was. Nothing like this should ever have been attempted by a reasonable mind. The results could be catastrophic, they were unpredictable.

Unless they'd already happened.

The look on Weiss' face tells me she's figured out at least part of it.

"You're deliberately forcing them to act."

I nod. "One way to draw out a beast is by offering it prey. We all know there are people in the courts that want me dead, this way I'm bringing them out into the open."

Glynda crosses her arms, she at least looks like she's considering what it is I'm saying "Is that wise? You'll practically have an army of nobility bearing down on you because of this."

"Except I won't."

"What?"

I smile. "You're not considering how the court is going to manage in this chaos, and it _is_ chaos. After all, I've given them a deadline. There are four kinds of people in the court. The loyalists, the traitors, the opportunities and the one that will do nothing."

Ozpin stills, turning to me. "You aim to turn them against each other."

I shrug. "I already have. The loyalists will throw their support my way. I'm suspecting they'll be the smallest number honestly, maybe four or five houses, what I'm banking on are the rest: the traitors come in two flavours, the calculating and the idiotic. The idiots are the ones who'll expose themselves."

"You gave them one day to rush things." Ozpin realises.

"Exactly. The smart ones would want to consolidate their forces, call in their knights from around the kingdom. With such little time they'll pull back and leave me alone for now. The idiots won't. they'll throw whatever they can scrounge together my way. Even the traitors can be useful to rebuilding, this way I can get rid of the ones I have no use for."

At least that was how Rose explained it. People who rushed in and put themselves on the back foot were something I should have to deal with. This way, I got rid of them all at once."

Weiss' eyes narrow. "That still leaves the two other kinds. I'm assuming the kind you refer to doing nothing will do just that."

"that's what I expect." I nod. "They'll either be the weaker houses that don't have much strength or reason to off me, or the ones that are too afraid to. They'll try and say out of this mess and watch it from afar. Either way they'll see this as too dangerous to take part in. that just leaves the opportunists, the ones I'm hoping my speech won over."

Yang raises an eyebrow. "You hope you've won them over by… threatening them?"

Yeah, I'd been worried about that too at first. It sounded stupid… but the way Rose had explained it… I wouldn't say it made sense to a normal person, but here?

"I invited chaos. It's the perfect situation for a power grab. I'll have some nobles stabbing others in the back to take from _them_ or I'll have nobles who decide they're better off supporting me and hoping their show of loyalty gains them something."

"Will it sis?"

I nod. "If I'm going to create an image for myself I need to come off as someone who rewards loyalty and destroys everything that is against me."

"Thus turning the entire court inside out." Ozpin whispers. The look on his face is nothing short of amazed, though from his eyes, I can see him revaluating me. "You constructed an internal coup, and you plan on taking the crown from all of them."

Something I know wouldn't have worked in any other situation.

But the court was already showing how it was failing. These people were lazy, out of practice.

"I did." I nod. "From here, I have to stick to my promise. I need to wait until tomorrow, not just to draw out the traitors, but to appear strong in front of the others.

"You do resale this will likely not bring out all of your enemies don't you?"

"Of course. In fact I expect that most if not all of the nobility who turned against my mother will side _with_ me _."_ Something Rose had found hilarious apparently. "But this just means I can use them. For now, the result is all that matters. Like I said, all they'll have is a day to carry out an assassination. If anything, most will probably be interested in seeing how this goes. That's what I'm hoping for anyway."

Weiss raises a hand to her face. "This is madness. Absolute madness. Is this what all Vale politics is like? Deception and coups d'état's?"

I smile at her, an actual one, not the kind I'd used in court. "How different is it in Atlas?"

" _Very_." She grumbles. "There's none of this sneaking around. If you want something dealt with you disputed internal, or if you had to, declare a feud with another house. The tribunal handles everything else that the king would not."

"Sounds complicated."

"Not as complicated at this!"

"I'm with ya' there snow angel." My sister mutters. "My head hurts just thinking about all the things people are going to be doing."

The lieutenant groans softly. "The fact that I feel the same in that regard just makes this worse."

I suppress a laugh at their bemoaning. Whether it's intentional or not, it helps the tension fade from my body. They're not considering leaving, just complaining about taking part.

That did however, leave one last crux.

I turn to face Ozpin and Glynda.

"I'll need your support." I tell them. They already know it, I'm sure, but the words have made it ironclad now. I already know that they're powerful nobles, and for this to work, I'll need their forces to protect me. "Even with just a single day, the Palace is likely to become a battleground. Until the coronation can occur, I need your soldiers to hold them off."

They watch me carefully. Glynda taps her chin. "If we were to aid you… what would we be required to do?"

They already know, they just want to hear what I think. In fact, this entire request is for show. Ozpin can't afford not to throw in his support for me after already being linked, and Glynda knows that she'll be dragged into it if he fails.

Words it seems, take precedence over actions.

"Keep them out of the throne room. No more. This is literally my seat of power. Until it's time, I need to say here."

That meant through the night as well.

For the first time since we'd met, I see a genuine smile grace Ozpins face.

"it seems we have no other option than to aid you. Very well, I will call the forces I brought with me here. Glynda? Will you do the same?"

The woman's eyes fall to mine. She nods. "Of course."

"Well, there you have it." The Lord chuckles. "It's ironic think in some way; for you to do this not even a day into the life of court. I remember your mother have the same such talent."

…what?

' **She did?'**

"What do you mean?"

"Her majesty acted much the way you do now," He explains to me, voice filled with amusement, like someone telling a secret that nobody else knows. "She would dance through court, every word the right one. It was as if she knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Some called her gods-graced for it."

Was that…

I shake my head. Whatever the case, I can think about it later…

Even if's probably true.

"You should go." I saw. "Prepare how you can while we still have time."

They seem to agree, bowing to me, and leaving through the throne rooms doors.

And then, there were three.

I sink into the chair.

"Oh gods," I groan. "I can't believe I've done this."

"Your Majesty?!" Weiss is clearly surprised.

Yang on the other hand, crosses her arms and shakes her head. "I was wondering when you'd spill it. Seriously Rubes, how did you manage to bluff your way through an entire court of people who want you dead? You can't even talk to boy's back home!"

" _I don't know!_ " I whine.

The reality of what I've just done is finally setting in and I'm stuck between being terrified and mortified.

My face falls into my hands as I rest my elbows on my lap. "I knew this was what was going to happen but I can't believe I actually went through with it! I'm such an idiot."

"Come on," My sister laughs. "It's not that bad. I mean, no, yeah actually it is, but you should keep your chin up anyway, there's no going back now."

I glare at her through my fingers. "Why are you so calm about this?!"

"I'm not," she says. "But right now we're kind of stuck here right? I'm guessing that if we try to leave this room by ourselves somebody's going to be waiting out there to off us. Am I right?"

I slump. "You are." A sigh escapes me. "You should still look more than just slightly miffed about this whole thing."

"I probably will be in a few hours when I've got time to think about it, but right now it's kinda just… there, in my head but not meaning anything to me, ya know? There's no point in panicking anyway is there?"

Damn it Yang, stop making sense.

This was just like her too; she always did better than me under pressure. I couldn't even say I was doing better _now_ , since I'd rehearsed exactly what was going to happen in my head for hours with Rose.

This was where her knowledge stopped. She'd given me nothing on _after_ the speech.

From here, it'll be all guesswork.

That was dangerous.

It meant there was risk, of course, but more than that, there was a greater chance I'd die right here than actually succeed, and the chances I did have come from bloody clairvoyance.

"The two of you don't have to stay."

"Huh?"

I lick my lips as the words I want to say form in my head. Most of them are pointless, meaningless things. This is no time to get sappy and plead with them, not when if I don't want to break down completely. I need to keep this calm personal, fo however long I can. I just have to tell them the facts. That's it.

"There's pretty much a guarantee that I'll be in danger… the two of you don't need to get caught up in that. If you want to, you can leave. Take the passage back to the Stormways until… until this is over."

Not even a single beat passes before Yang rolls her eye, and Weiss scowls. "I believe I was quite clear on my stance Ruby. I've said many times now how I've given my word to protect you."

"Yeah but..." I bit my lip. "Saying something and actually putting it into action, especially if it puts your life at risk is a completely different thing."

"My decision is still the same."

"Be serious Rubes. You didn't actually think either of us were actually going to nod our heads and leave you alone in this did you?"

I sigh. "No… but I think giving you the chance to is the best I can do anyway."

The brawler just rolls her eyes. "Yeah well forget it. You know me sis, I ain't leaving you, especially not here." She shoots me a thumbs up and a cocky grin. "Besides, after seeing you talk to all of those guys like that, I need to prove that _I'm_ the cooler sister!"

Of course. What was I thinking? Yang wasn't going to leave me, not in the middle of all this, and Weiss? Well, if the past few days have been even the slightest indication of her standards, she's not going to abandon me because of a little danger.

In a way, it feels good, knowing I can trust them like this.

It... might actually have been comforting.

If only I didn't know how horrible their death would be.

Even _if_ this succeded.

...

 **Things look like they're about to get heated! Ruby will have to do her best to manage the craziness coming.**

 **Honestly, delcaring war on any sort of nobility would have been suicide in medieval times. She's lucky she's a princess, and that she has what's essentially a cheatsheet.**

 **If I had a future me telling me stuff, I'd be so much more successful.**

 **Imagine going back and telling your younger self not to do something stupid or cringeworthy.**

 **Ultimate power right there.**

 **We'll have to see how it works out for them, they must have something up their sleeve, at least until the coronation. How is that going to go I wonder?**

 **I think I'm going to set a standard of asking you guys so questions at the end of these chapters, since the responses I got back on your favourite RWBY girl was actually pretty eyeopening. Obviously, you can just ignore it, but I think it'll be fun, especially if you want to see what other people think too.**

 **... now that I say that, that would dissuade me from giving my opinion. The internet can be scary sometimes.**

 **So,, which character are you most looking forward to seeing in the future of House Of Thorns?**


	9. Act 1: Part 8

_**...**_

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _And so we see upon the tower, a light. A light that casts back the shadow, a light that bring hope, courage, and salvation. This is the light that has been kept sacred for eons. It has been the power, the jurisdiction of the Vale, that proves above all things that we are truly blessed… that light… has not been seen for some time. I fear I may not live to see it reignite. But, I know that when it does, we will have found our saviour. Of that, I can promise you. For who could truly lead us but one hand picked by the gods themselves?_

 _High priest Sermons to his disciples within the cathedrals of Vale_

…

We've been waiting for hours.

The three of us kept to the insane plan I'd concocted and stayed in the throne room all through the night. We were tense, ready for something to go wrong, for people to burst through those doors and kill us.

Nothing.

The whole night, and not even a peep.

They've left the three of us to stew, so here I am, sitting on the throne, Weiss and Yang leaning against it in boredom.

Imagine, being bored when there was a nearly guaranteed threat on your life.

I don't like this.

It's far too calm.

Something should have happened by now, even if it's just a commotion or something outside.

But there isn't

There's not even a sound.

It's as if the entire palace is suddenly empty. Abandoned even.

Gods.

Please don't tell me they plan on burning it down.

That would put a dent or two in my plans for sure.

I'm doing my best not to let my nervousness show, for as much as they said they were with me, looking like a scared little girl in front of them was bound to do more than just demoralise Weiss and my sister.

I'm not entirely sure what I _can_ do. I haven't asked Rose. I haven't even _slept_ since the other say. Ozpin hasn't gotten back to me either. As far as I know, he's tried to pull out of the ordeal. It's unlikely, but if he thinks this is going to fail spectacularly then I might decide to just cut his losses and deal with the backlash he'll receive another way.

The thought is terrifying, because of what it would mean for me.

"So," I say, licking my lips. "What do you think?"

"Huh?" My sister grunts tiredly. She hadn't slept either. "You meant about this whole situation or…"

"Yeah… how do you think this is going to go?"

"Dunno," she shrugs. "I mean, what's even supposed to happen anyway? Are they really going to stop whenever you light the Beacon?"

"They have to." Weiss yawns.

"Oh yeah? How do you know?"

"Because I _read_." Weiss drawled. "I studied The Vale's laws as much as I could before coming here. While I'm still not familiar with all of it, how the Monarchy is chosen is something I _was_ interested in. once the Beacon is let, it's irrefutable proof that a King or Queen has been chosen."

"How would that even work? It's just a fire. Would it really proof that Ruby's here?"

"No," she explains. "Because as far as I know, only the Rose Monarchy as ever lit the Beacon. Remember, it went dark after Ruby's mother passed."

"So…" yang leaned forward. "You're saying only a Rose can lit the fire?"

"I am… why?"

"Well don't that sound pretty magical to you?"

Weiss scowled. "I highly doubt that is the case. It could just be as simple as there being a law that none but the crown may use it."

"Uh-huh." Yang smirks. "You stick with that. It sounds to me like they haven't because they _can't_. If they could, somebody would have definitely done it, at least to pretend."

"Pretend?"

"Sure. I mean, you've heard of a Puppet monarch right? How would anybody be able to tell the difference if they just sat some servant girl on the throne and said she was Ruby? Who'd be able to disprove it?"

Weiss sighs loudly. "Are you forgetting her proof of lineage? Her Majesty's silver eyes would be enough to convince others she is the real thing. It's even what _Ruby_ did yesterday."

"I guess…" Yang allows reluctantly, crossing her arms. The show was recognition makes Weiss raise her head triumphantly.

"Exactly. Honestly Yang, there's a reason Atlas and Vale have been such close allies in the past. If _magic_ was involved I highly doubt such a thing would have been possible. The Rose Monarchy of all things possessing such a thing would be near blasphemous "

Yeah… about that.

I'm really lucky neither of them are looking my way because if they were they'd see how I begin to sweat.

Yep. Definitely no magic here.

None at all.

Yikes.

Now that I think about it, is that going to be a problem in the future?

If I'm going to be making conversations with other kingdoms like Atlas, how would they react to magic?

Or was it _just_ Atlas that thought like that?

' **Perhaps they won't bring any problems, especially if they're not told. Ozpin referenced it, but it didn't sound like he was aware of what mother could do. Come to think of it…. If that's the case, then she'd kept it a secret all that time before her death.'**

I frown at the thought.

' **If she could see things like me then… how had she-'**

My train of thought is severed as something crashes outside the door.

My head shoots up, as do Weiss' and my sisters.

"It sounded far off." Yang mutters. "Sounds to me like it's starting. Is it time yet?"

"The sun is about to rise." Weiss tells us. "It would perhaps be practical to do it right before it does. Commoners at least will be waking up at this time, and if they aren't, I'm sure they'll see The Beacon anyway. Now would be a good time to make your way up to the tower your Majesty."

"I can't." I say. "Not until the ones wanting to kill me have shown themselves."

She winces. "This is dangerous.

Don't I know it?

There isn't another crash, but there's some kind of commotion building. Loud enough that I can hear it even from here, but I can't really place where it is at the moment. It could be outside the palace altogether for all I know.

So we wait.

And wait.

And wait.

As we do, Yang decides that she's tired of sitting down and pulls herself up, checking her bracers to see if they're tight enough.

Weiss is doing the same, her hand rests atop her sabre. Ready to draw it at even the slightest provocation. She's rolling on the balls of her feet, nearly bouncing in place.

Al I can do is remain solid.

My nails don't do much to dent the silver, buy my knuckles go white as I grip the sides of it.

The doors creak open in front of us suddenly, and the pair look ready to jump.

They don't however, when six men are all that enter, none of them armed, and each with scrolls in their hands.

Messengers.

Weiss steps in front of me, tilted sideways almost, ready to attack despite their appearance. The men come to a stop a good twenty paces from me.

"You step unannounced before her Majesty. State your business."

All at once they kneel and one of the men in the centre speaks.

"We come with pledges of loyalty my lady, for her majesty. An offering of men to defend her."

Yang's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "They really did it?"

I lean forward. "Approach and show me."

They do so for a moment, before Yang moves to intercept them. She extends a hand, and her message is clear.

After a moment, the messengers hand them over and Yang in turn hands them to me.

I swallow, and unfurl them.

When I see their contents, I let out a breath.

"Well?" Yang hedges. "What's it say?"

"Names." I mutter. I look up to the messengers suddenly. "Leave us. Tell them that their loyalty is appreciated and to be ready at their own will."

The men bow deeply, rushing out of the room to give us the privacy I needed.

As soon as they do, I ran a hand through my hair.

"Exactly what they said. They're pledges. Six in total but… none from Ozpin or Glynda."

"So six separate ones?" Weiss hums, a hand rising to her chin. "Who do they belong to?"

My eyes can over the signals of heraldry. I don't… think I recognize any of them…. But there's something… familiar about them.

I feel my eyebrows furrow, my eyes narrow. "Stone, Coppersmith, Blanche, Torchwick, Grey and Rivers."

"Rivers?" Yang parrots.

I shake my head. "Different as far as I can tell. No relation. I'd think the Rivers we knew would have mentioned it otherwise."

"Intriguing." Weiss says. "From how they acted, I would have thought Lord Stone and Lady Coppersmith would have been against you."

So had I honestly, and yet here it was, proof of their alliance. This couldn't be retracted now. If people found it, it could be used against them.

"There were a lot of people at that meeting though," Yang bit her lip. "Do you think six is enough?"

"On their own? Probably not, but take a look at this." I hand her one of the scrolls and let her run her eyes over them. She looks up in surprise. "They're promising other people's support too?"

I nod. "These people are Dukes and Duchesses, that gives them powerful connections and dealings. From the look of it, lesser nobles threw their lot in with them."

"May I?" Weiss asks moving to peek over Yang's shoulder. My sister nods, tilting slightly to give her a better look.

The lieutenant's lips twist into a smirk. "Sixteen Marquess and Marchioness, fourteen Count's, eight Countesses, nine Earls, twenty Viscounts and forty-two Baron's and Baronesses. One hundred and nine in total. A far more generous number than I would have expected."

I agree. That was nearly a third of the entire court. I'd thought I'd get at most, half of that. These six nobles had sway, a lot of it.

How insane had the power vacuum been for them to gain this much influence?

"If they all do as promised, and take action combined with whatever sway Ozpin and Glynda hold then defending the palace from an assault should be all but guaranteed."

Yang turns to the doors at the other end of the hall. "So… does that mean we're safe? We don't have to worry about anything else do we?"

"I wouldn't bet on it." Weiss crosses her arms behind her back, packing before me as I lean back on the throne. "If a blatant attack won't work then it means they will simply have to be far more unmanageable. The likelihood of assassin is high, or they may attempt a fast and brutal move."

I gnaw at my lips. "If we could find a passageway into the palace, who's to say there aren't more for them to use themselves. They might be able to slip in a unit or two… maybe more."

"How many would that be?"

"No idea, but more than I'd like anyhow."

"Well can't we just-"

Yang cuts herself off as a massive crash echoes through the door, followed by another, and another.

And in the next moment, the clear sound of steel on steel.

Weiss' hand falls to her sabre. "It's started then…"

I make to ask what she means when right before my eyes-

There's a sudden explosion.

The wall to my left caves in somehow, and the gears of the balcony whirl as it collapses.

There's a hiss of steel as soldiers spill out over the balcony.

Yang springs up. "They're here already?!"

Her response is a battle cry from our attackers as they land on the floor and charge us.

Weiss finally frees her blade, and is quick to cut a man down as soon as he's within her range.

Yang ducks under a swipe at her head and slams her fist into a soldiers ribs. It must have splintered something because he falls quickly. She catches another man's sword on her braces right as he steps over his companion's fallen form. Her vambraces spark as she takes the hit, weaving inside his guard and smashing her fist through his jaw.

Yang can handle herself against these people. They're simple soldiers and she knows how to fight.

Weiss on the other hand.

It's something else.

She's absurdly fast. Sidestepping thrusts and slashes so quickly it's almost like she's snapping into place. Every single time she does so, she counterattacks. Even to me, someone with no real clue how to fight, I can see how perfect her form is.

Her sabre travels down their blades like she'd one it a thousand times, catching on their hilts and knocking them out of their hands and cutting them down in the same movement.

She flicks her writs, stopping a man's sword aimed for her exposed back like it was a paperweight and _throws_ him into two of his companions

She lunges forward and stabs at them on the ground, ending their lives before they can even get up.

Pulling her sabre free she spins and caught a man who's tried to capitalize on her defenceless back yet again.

The tip of her blade sliced open his throat in a shower of blood and she kicks his body back with her heel. She disregards him as he lays dying and hops back as one soldier brings down a mace where her head had been.

My eyes narrow as I watch.

She's surrounded by four of them at once.

Two with swords, one before her with a mace, and on her right with a spear.

There's a heavy clang as she brings up her Sabre, catching the sword swords with her out, but the two on one offers enough force to make her stumble a bit, and she just barely reacts in tome as the man of her right thrusts forward with his polearm.

She reaches out with her free hand before it can pierce her and catches the haft.

It scrapes against her breastplate, and Weiss' eyes widen slightly from the impact it manages to make before her face twist into a scowl and she forces it back.

Her arm shakes from the three-pronged attack.

She eyes flicker forward at the sound of the man in front of her makes however, and she grits her teeth as he raises his mace to cave in her skull.

Her knees bend as she gets ready to leap back, possibly capable of avoiding it like she had before even with the added pressure.

The movement isn't needed though when a hand reaches around the man's throat and yanks him back. He tried to scream as a flash emanated from the hand, but is silenced by the flames that sizzle his wide pipe.

Yang throws the corpse to the side and lunges at the men on Weiss' right, dragging on of them off and practically throwing him into the other.

Weiss is already moving again. With a growl she wrenches the spear past her into the gut of one of the swordsmen and uses her now free sword to lop off the spearman's head. She takes the spear in hand and hurls it like a javelin at someone on the other side of the room.

She turns to Yang as the blonde finishes snapping the last neck of the man near them.

"I had that handled." She told my sister, who in turn just grinned back.

"Sure you did Snow angel, nothing wrong with a little help though right?"

Weiss makes to respond before another group of men suddenly pool through the same opening.

"Tch, more?" she grouses.

"Better armed too by the looks of it." Yang nods, eyes on the shields the men wore. She lowers herself and flexes her fingers. "Back me up on this?"

"Believe me," Weiss huffs, flicking her sabre forward. "It'll be the other way around."

They're moving again, dashing forward together to meet our attacks.

Yang is like a battering ram, crashing into their shields, knocking them aside for Weiss to deliver deadly blow after deadly blow.

The bodies fall one after another, and Yang not wanting to be outdone, opens up the palms of her hands and lets flames spew from them in waves.

The men scream out in agony as they're flesh is cooked inside their armour.

Some try to run at the sight of their companions burning alive and turn their backs.

Weiss punishes them for it mercilessly, driving her blade through their backs before they can make it even to the door.

In doing so however, they miss two of them.

Two that were either brave enough to push past it or too stupid to realise they would die for it.

Weiss' eyes widen as they charge at me.

"Your Majesty!"

I haven't moved from the throne, and now they're too close for me to do so.

With a triumphant cry, one of them raises his swords up and stabs forward.

The funny thing is; isn't slow.

I'd seen faster, far faster, from Weiss, Yang, Rivers, Rose and even those that had attacked me on the road.

This isn't even on the scale of speed compared to them.

Truthfully, I'm sure this man expects me to fear in terror, who wouldn't? A sword coming at your face is a sure way to end your life.

I'd seen far more terrifying already.

I tilt my head to the side.

And his blade shaves right past and clangs against the silver throne.

It shatters.

I see the confusion in his eyes, he blinks like he doesn't realise what's happened yet.

I elect to help him with that, by lashing out with the heel of my boot and cracking it against his kneecap, he cries out in pain as his leg bends in a way it was never meant to and he goes crashing off to the side. I catch him in the stomach as he does and kick him back into his partner, who doesn't see it coming until it's too late and he tumbles to the ground.

Weiss and Yang are on them in the next instant, faces twisted with rage Weiss slits the throat of one as Yang drives her fist through the other man's head.

My sister turns to me, ignorant of the blood that's splashed onto her face. "Ruby are you-"

"You're not done!" I snap, glaring past her as yet again, more spill in.

These ones, again, are armed with something different.

Weiss' eyes widen as half a dozen javelins are hurled through the air right at us.

Two miss completely, but the lieutenant doesn't take a chance with others. She bats one out the air with her free and slices another down with her sword.

Yang throws out a hand and fire streams into the air, burning the last two to ash before they can reach us.

These men it seems are smarter than the others however, because they've already cleared the distance between us.

Weiss cleaves one man's arm off as he makes a move for her and engages with two more that take his place.

There's less room next to the thorn, enough to impact her performance. She backsteps, but not far enough, and a gauntleted fist crashes into the side of her face.

The hit nearly makes her lose her footing entirely and she ducks down to avoid the follow-up strike that would have gouged out her eyes. She thrusts her sabre upwards in recompense, stabbing through the man's jaw and out the top of his head.

She kicks him away and he slides off her sword, painting the already bloody sword red.

Yang grabs hold of another and lifts him off his feet before bringing him back down against the side of the throne. He's spine snaps loudly and she used his useless body as a club to smash into another soldier. It knocks him sideways and he stumbles.

Where I am.

The Xiao-Long dagger slips out of my sleeve and I plunge it into the side of his neck, tearing the wicked knife free brutally as he chokes.

The battle still rages outside, however it's going, but in the throne room, everything goes quiet.

Weiss breathes heavily, and my eyes fall on her arm, which she clutches hard.

"Weiss are you alright?"

She lets out a breath. "I'm fine your Majesty. One of them just managed to cut me. It's nothing serious. I'll ride out the pain."

I force back a hiss. The fact that she's been hurt at all is as much my fault as it is these attackers.

They've paid for it with their lives, but that's not enough.

My eyes scan over the bodies.

"How many?" I ask. "How many are here I mean, that you killed?"

Yang leans herself against the throne. "Including the ones I burned? About twenty-seven. It's not a lot on its own, but from the sounds of it, I'm guessing the rest of them are out there."

Weiss shakes her head. "How did they even manage to get in here so quickly? Right onto the balcony no less."

"I'm thinking you already know." I mutter, lifting my foot and nudging one of the dead men, rolling him over onto his back.

His armour reveals his heraldry and my eyes flicker to the rest. "I'm thinking we might have at least three culprits to deal with when this is over at least."

Weiss peers at them. "I don't recognise any of them… wait… that one I do."

"Really?"

"Indeed." She nods. "They're banner is displayed high in the northern districts of Vale of all things. Lord Malachite."

"Well then," Yang smirks. "I guess we have a name to start with then."

' **That we do'**

My head snaps up abruptly as the door this time shakes, as if rattled by something.

I lips form a grim line. "Looks like a few more have made it here already."

"…Your Majesty," Weiss says. "Now would be about the time to see this through, wouldn't you think?"

…she's right. I've got names, and I'll probably have more outside. I've upheld my promise I made to the nobility in waiting, but even I know the longer we keep this up the more likely it is to fail.

"You're right. It's about time we get up to the tower, Come on, Ozpin told me which way I need to go."

I stand, stepping off the raised platform to one of the smaller doors to the back of the hall.

It's a small door, leading up from what I'd been told, a spiral staircase up to The Beacon. I hadn't seen what that was exactly yet, but, well, now was a good time to find out.

But… something's missing.

I stop, turning. Yang is behind me, and shoots me a confused look.

The lieutenant hasn't moved.

"Weiss?"

Her face is unreadable to me.

Yang frowns. "What are ya' doing Snow Angel? Come on. Didn't you just we shouldn't waste any more time?"

"…I am aware." She says, wincing as the door rattles again. "But… they will be in soon, and when they see you are not here, they will likely realise just where you have gone… if that happens, then they will likely follow you up and you'll be trapped."

My stomach drops. Not from her words, I'd already realised that was a danger, one that would be nearly unavoidable either way. My hope was that if I lit the fire before they reached me, then they wouldn't be able to do anything.

The odds of that actually being the case however…

Were not entirely on my side.

I knew that already though.

No, what was worst, was that I know what it is Weiss is saying.

"Weiss." I swallow. "You can't."

"If they breach before you get up then it may not be an option. Here is better than in the tower."

"You can't stay behind!"

"Come on Weiss," Yang steps forwards, dropping the pretences of her nickname. "You can't seriously think you can take on however many come through there, can you?"

"Probably not." She admits. "But if I can buy you even a minute, I think I'll have done enough, though I'll do my best to extend that time."

I shake my head. "Weiss you can't-"

"Ruby," she interrupts calmly. "The longer we speak the less time you will have. I have made up my mind, you should hurry up and go."

And leave me here, were the words left unspoken.

My hands clench into fists and I want to say more, but before I can, Yang's hand clamps down on my shoulder. She's giving Weiss a hard look, and after a moment, she nods. "Good luck."

Despite herself, Weiss manages a proud smirk. "How insulting. I don't need luck."

I grit my teeth and turn away. I'm afraid of what will happen if I look at her. "Disobeying your queen is treason." I say.

"Technically… you're not my queen. I'm Atlesian, remember."

"When this is over, you will be." I say. "And then, when I come back, I'll make you pay for it. You better stay alive long enough for me to punish you."

"… I will do my best not to disappoint."

I swallow and nod, as Yang makes a break for the tower. In my weakness, I turn back, to see Weiss facing away from me, picking up a second sword from a fallen foe and giving it a few test swings. She stands facing the door, ready to fight back the assault alone.

I break into a run myself, slamming the door behind me and running up the stairs behind Yang.

I pray to the gods, to Weiss' gods, for her sake, that she may live.

* * *

…

…

* * *

The tower, I realise, is much taller than I expected.

We run, and run and run as fast as we can, for I-don't-know how long, enough that I'm beginning to feel out of breath.

Ahead of me, Yang is furiously dragging herself up the steps. "Why," she growls. "Did they make this thing so fucking high up?!"

I didn't know, but right now it's working against us. The longer we take, the longer Weiss is down there alone, the more reality can crash down on us and make us see how futile this really is.

I know Yang feels the same. She'd tried to hide it but I'd seen. I'd seen how pissed off she was when we left Weiss alone.

We had to keep moving, he had to make it now!

Step after step and step, I lose track of time. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours before we reached the top, but we do, mercifully, we do.

There's a simple wooden door at the top, and Yang barges through it roughly. Stumping slightly as she makes it to flat ground.

We've made it to the top.

Despite what's going on, despite the need for speed, I can't help how I still, how my eyes widen as I look around.

The top of the tower is…

Open!

There are pillars all around the edge holding up a roof, but the gaps in between are straight up empty. I could set over the edge and plummet all the way down.

It's bigger than I'd thought it would be too.

It's like a full floor of a home, enough space to so pretty much anything. I could run from one end to the other if I wanted and still have plenty of room.

And, in the centre it dips, carved out of the stone floor it looks like… a basin.

Smooth and round its well over ten meters wide from the centre.

Ridiculously big.

It looks as if it were made for giants.

Or the gods.

"So," Yang whispers beside me, affected by the same feeling as me. "What are you supposed to do now?"

"I can explain that."

Our heads whip to the side and Yang raises her fists for a fight. She stops however when out of the shadows is not an attacker, but Ozpin.

My eyes narrow. "What are you doing here?"

He stops, no doubt catching how hostile my tone is. I don't care. With what's at stake now, there's no way I could ever care about niceties. He bows deeply. "Your Majesty. Throughout your time here, I understand that I have come off as… enigmatic, but you must know that I am here to serve."

I do, but not because of anything he's done.

If Rose hadn't' said otherwise, I'd see you as an enemy.

I shake my head. No time. No time for this at all.

"Well then?" I ask. "How does this work? What even is this?"

He lets out a breath. Whatever he feels at my words, he reigns back on it and turns to the basin "This is where The Beacon's fire comes from. An incredible flame that illuminated humanities way through the darkness many millennia ago. It is a kiln or sorts, though, your mother once dubbed it 'The God Vessel' for reasons I was not made privy to."

"God Vessel." I repeat, tasting the word on my tongue. It… it feels…. It feels like I know that word. Like I've… heard it my entire life.

But I haven't… have I?

What is this…. This _churning_ in my stomach, like something waking up.

' **As if I'm finally fully awake'**

"What do I do then? I have to light it, right?"

"It…" he hesitates. "It is more compacted than that."

Yang crosses her arms and scowls. "Hurry up and spit it out. We're on a time limit and we need to do this before- before someone gets hurt. If you're stalling then-"

"It's not that!" He rushes out. "But the act of lighting the fire is… abnormal."

"Abnormal how?"

"her majesty… must step into the Vessel. And remain there while the basin is lit."

" _What?!_ "

Yang lunges forward, gripping Ozpin by his collar and lifting him close.

"What the hell are you playing at bastard?" she growls furiously. "You want her to be burned alive?!

"No, I do not." He responds. "I do not understand how it works, but I witnesses as Summer Rose did the same. She will not burn where all others would."

"Do you expect us to believe that?"

"Do you have any other choice?"

I grimace.

No.

We don't.

If we don't do it, the tower will be stormed and we'll be killed.

This is a ritual, plain and simple.

It what Ozpin's saying is true then.

" **Do it. We need to do it'**

We do. Like he said. There's no other option.

Yang's growls fill my ears, but… something drowns it out.

A thumping sound.

…

It's my own heartbeat.

I step forward.

"Ruby what are you-"

"We both know he's right Yang." I murmur. "It doesn't make sense for him to lie, not when all the others acted the way they did."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, if this was a fire that was supposed to kill me then why would the noble's act the way they are now? Why send people after me if I'd just burn alive? He must be telling the truth if they were so worried about me doing this right?"

Yang's scowl grows dark as she releases Lord Ozpin. "That's a pretty big fuckin' leap sis. They might just not know how this works in the first place. As far as we know Ozpin's the only one who knows even the _littlest_ about this. He could still be lying, shit, he could just be _wrong_."

I'd think so too. I do think so.

' **But Rose never mentioned this. She never said it would be dangerous. That means it's safe, right? Right? We need to see for ourselves. We need to try."**

…we?

A crash from below that echoes up the tower lifts my head.

Then, a cry, as whoever was trying to climb the stairs was brought low.

That's my cue. No more time. We're out of it. Yang outstretches a hand as I make my way deeper down into the basin, standing right in the centre.

"So?" I look back. "What now?"

"Now," he says, stepping up to the edge. "Now we need something to light it. Miss Xiao-Long, I believe you can wield flames, can you not?"

My sister pales. "Y-yeah but-" she stares at me desperately. "Rubes you can't… I mean I can't… if this is wrong then…"

Then she'll have killed me. If Ozpin's words are false then Yang herself will be the one who burns me alive.

…strangely enough, it doesn't scare me. How could it? It's Yang. My sister.

She wouldn't hurt me.

That's just fact.

Like a law of reality.

Nothing Yang did would _never_ hurt me.

I believe in that completely.

But she doesn't. She's afraid it'll kill me. Perhaps like any normal person should. She's scared of what she might do.

Right now.

We can't have that.

"Yang." I smile at her, as she freezes in place. "I trust you. Do you trust me?"

The question is a plea, for permission, for belief, for support.

The answer, for what it's worth, has already been predetermined.

"Of course I do." Yang murmurs. "I… shit… yeah I do. I trust you Ruby."

"Then let's do it."

"…Right." She whispers to herself. "So… I… just pour in some fire?"

"Indeed." Ozpin says. "Just a small amount, the basin will do the rest itself."

She takes a breath. "Okay… okay…. Then… I need to…"

Slowly, embers drift from her palms, falling gently like leaves in the fall.

They scatter, flaking in the wind, so close to the ground now, one scathes the edges of the ba-

A scorching inferno roars to life.

It overwhelms my sight in an instant, shooting into the air and encircling me before I can even realise what's going on.

Yang cries out my name, and then she's cut off.

I can't see her, nor can I hear her. The light from the flames in blinding, forcing my eyes shut.

It's… it's as if my heads being…

 _Filled._

 _Filled._

 _Filled_.

No.

No that's not it.

Something's waking up.

Something that's always been there.

It's coming to life inside of me.

' **It's completing us!** '

I gasp, the voice, once my own, once my most inner thoughts, comes to the forefront.

It's different.

Different than they have been before.

Like another voice.

It's strange, foreign but not. The sound, the taste, the _texture_ of it is so different from my own but it feels- it feels like it's always been there. Something swells in my chest, like a hand gripping my heart. I can feel the heat of the flames, seeping through my skin.

That's…. that's what this is.

It's as if a hand of fire had closed around my heart, its fingers, made of flames hold fast.

It burns, but it doesn't hurt.

It engulfs me, but it doesn't consume.

In the darkness of my vision, as I block out the light I'm greeted with darkness, all around me, my eye are closed yet I can see a world, empty, within my mind.

But it's not empty.

Within my head, I can see a silhouette.

I… I can't make them out. It's almost like they're shapeless. They haven't formed yet.

But I… I can see _something_. Two orbs, eyes like wildfires burning brilliantly in the void.

"What is this?" I gasp.

Something ripples over my skin. I'd opened my mouth to speak but when I'd taken a breath it wasn't air that flowed into my lungs, but embers.

It should burn but it doesn't.

It's not possible.

Fire should burn.

But it doesn't. It…

It's doing something else.

' **We can feel it… our wounds are…** '

The voice.

The voice trails off as if feel the heat wash over my shoulder and I gasp as I feel something impossible happen.

The wound in my shoulder is _filled_! My flesh warps, grows, knits itself together.

My eyes snap open in shock as my hand fly's to my shoulder.

My injuries are gone.

I'm healed!?

' **Fascinating'**

"Who are you? Rose?" I hiss out fiercely, even as I say it though, I know it's not my future self. "What's going on? Where did you come from? Are you- are you another part of my visions?"

Something whistles softy by my ear, as if someone is breathing.

There's nothing there, but I can feel it like there is.

' **I… don't know. Everything's….strange. Or is it? I don't have a body but… if I never had does that not make it normal? I can't tell. I've always been here, haven't I? I'm not sure, but I feel alive, awake like I never have before. It as if I was stuck in the act of just opening my eyes but now… the flames have cleared the fog'**

The basin starts to rattle, as if the power whirling around me is too much for it to handle. The fires are spinning along the edges, threatening to spill out.

Has The Beacon been seen by enough people? Is it done?

It must be, because abruptly the flams begin to flicker and retract, pulling back towards the centre, towards me. My eyes drift shut again as they build around me, and start… flowing…

Into my skin.

But the feelings that have awakened still remain. They're here to stay it feels like, whatever they are. That presence. That voice. Whatever it was.

I… feel tired.

The flames lower just enough that I can see Yang again, a look of shock on her face, but relief that I'm alright.

My knees feel weak.

I… I think I might be losing… consciousness.

' **Not quite yet,'** the voice tells me softly, as a heat floods my core. Even as I fall to one knee, and I hear Yang break into a run towards me, I know that now, I won't fall asleep somehow. Something is keeping me going **'There are still things we must do. The day is not over, far from it.'**

This voice. It's doing more than just speaking. It's not mine. It's too different, and yet I feel like it's been mine my whole life.

I don't… I don't know _what_ it is.

' **Neither do I… but… it seems we will need something to separate us. No. Something to bring us closer. Something you can call us, like you do all of those around you. Yes… we need a name.** _ **I**_ **need a name. Something appropriate. Something to mark this day that I've truly been born.'**

A smile spreads across my lip. I can feel it.

It's not by my own actions.

' **Yes, I have it. I was awakened by the Beacon, a light in the darkness, a hope to the people and even as it fades it still remains within us. My name…**

 **Is Cinder.**

* * *

…

…

* * *

I'm not sure how long has passed.

The flames have died out, Yang now kneeling down at my side with her hands on my back. I lean into them for support.

Feel… drained.

But oddly, complete.

It was as if The Beacon had taken something out of me to inspect, and once it had been satisfied, gave it back, gifting me with something more.

It's a surreal experience.

Yang can't tell whether I'm really okay or not, and a worried look stretches across her face. "Ruby are you okay? You were… there was fire all around you."

I swallow, trying to wet my suddenly dry throat and nod weakly. "I'm alright." I murmur. "I feel… different. I don't know how though but… but I'm okay."

At that, my sister's shoulders slump.

"Thank the gods for that. She turns her head Ozpins way. "So? Now what?"

I raise my head, turning in the same direction and blinking in surprise as I take in Ozpin.

He looks inordinately pleased. "Now? There is no need to do anything. At least for the moment. All of Vale will have seen the light, perhaps even further, but either way the news will spread of your return, of your position now. With this new status, the nobility will be unable to touch you."

That's…

That's right.

I… this means I'm the queen now, doesn't?

There'll probably become sort of, I don't know, official ceremony, but right now at this moment, I'm no longer the princess, I'm the queen, and everybody in Vale knows it.

They'll have had to have stopped fighting now because of this. Killing me now would destroy them. People would riot.

My eyes widen.

"Weiss!" I hiss, spinning to Yang. "We have to get back down there now!"

My sister looks nearly grief-stricken at my words. "Ruby… the fighting stopped a few minutes ago… while you were in there."

No. No that- that doesn't mean anything! Weiss is fine. She has to be fine!

I grunt, dragging myself to my feet and cursing how much I struggle. My sister sees this and helps, and even with the remorse on her face, she understands we have to go back down there. To see it for ourselves.

She turns to Ozpin.

"Go do whatever it is you're going to do… we need to tie something up… and I need to make whoever's left down there pay.

The man holds her gaze for a long moment, before breaking off and bowing deeply to both of us. "I will do as you command. Whatever it is you see… I wish you luck your grace."

I nod and turn away.

And together Yang and I make out way back down the spiral tower.

The way down is even longer than it had going up. It's the feeling. The trepidation of what we might see.

Unwillingly, my mind flashes back… or forward, to the future, to Weiss, crucified atop a wall.

Have my choices killed her sooner?

Have I made a mistake?

Have I ruined everything already?

So long later, and yet sooner than I want, we come to the door leading back to the throne room.

I look to Yang.

She swallows and nods.

I do the same, and take a breath.

We open the door, and see what awaits us there.

And whatever we might have said is silence by the sight before us.

"That's…" My sister whispers in disbelief. "By the gods!"

I'm not even listening. My eyes are fixated on the centre of the room. There are bodies, bodies everywhere. More than there had been when we left. It… I count them. There are thirty more than there had been before. Over twice as many as the three of us had dealt with alone.

Weiss isn't one of them.

The lieutenant has her backs to us, on one knee, using both of her swords as crutches and breathing laboriously.

But she's _alive._

"Weiss!" I cry, stumbling forward and rushing her way.

At the sound of my voice, the lieutenant turns and I gasp.

"Gods!" I breathe, coming to kneel down beside her. "How did this- are you alright?"

She manages a tired some, actually looking somewhat bemused. "Of course Ruby. I… I'm just tired. Nothing to worry about."

What?

No she-

"Weiss." I speak worriedly. "You're bleeding."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your eye…" I murmur, raising my hand to the left side of her face, gently wiping away the blood. When I do, air whistles through her teeth, and at the sigh of what's underneath, I do the same.

There's a gnarly, gagged slash straight down her face, right over her eye. I can't even tell how bad it is, more blood's already started rushing down her face.

"It ah, seems I didn't notice." She laughs weakly. "It must be the rush. Ah… I think… I think it's starting to hurt now."

This is my fault.

If I'd been firmer, If I hadn't provoked the nobility into acting then Wiess wouldn't be hurt like this. How stupid was I? to pull something like this all because of-

"Don't." Weiss orders firmly.

"W-what?"

"I can see it on your face your Majesty. Stop. In case you have forgotten this was a decision of my own making, and as such, a result of the same. Please, do not insult both of us by regretting it."

I swallow. What can I say in repose to that of all things?

Nothing. The answer is nothing. Right now, there's no time for it.

"Yang," I say, turning to my sister. "I need you to go see what's going on outside, and if it's safe I need you to find a doctor of Weiss."

She nods. "You got it."

She sprints past, hesitating only for a moment before Weiss.

It doesn't last, and whatever she wants to say, she decided to hold off in favour of doing what I asked.

It leaves the two of us alone.

The lieutenant.

 _My lieutenant,_ is left to catch her breath, leaning against me as I hold her up.

I manage a laugh. What must the two of us look like? Both exhausted and on the cusp of fainting… Tch, what am I saying? My body has been healed of anything that might have hurt me by some strange magic, while Weiss might lose an eye.

In the silence, the snow-haired woman speaks. "So," she pants. "What now? What will you do your Majesty?"

I take a breath.

A good question. A hand rises to my chest, to a warmth in my heart that wasn't there before.

To something.

 _Someone_

Who now is.

"Now… it's time to finish this. I'm taking back my crown."

* * *

…

…

* * *

 **Well everybody's alive for now. Thank goodness. Well, as long as Weiss gets her eye looked at. I mean, gee, infection is a killer.**

 **Some weird things with the Beacon and say hello to everyone's favourite pyromaniac.**

 **Or is she everyone's most hated?**

 **Next one will be the coronation itself, and a big leap forwards in somethings, so stay tuned.**

 **Anyway, I wanted to bring up something that was brought to my attention recently, that being, the RWBY Shonen Manga that's been released recently. I just got around to reading it myself, and I have to say… wow. It looks gorgeous. Everything from the characters to the world and monsters to the presentation is stunning. It's a little lighter on the action side than say, Shirow Miaw's version, but this one is a proper adaptation of the story and even though there's only four chapters so, I have to say I'm loving it.**

 **I'll come out and say that personally out of all six Volumes, V1 is my least liked. ( LeGasp I know) I just found it's tone and characterisation very… poor, and I feel like most of the problems with characters and the story itself come from this Volume** _ **. And WoR but we don't talk about those.**_

 **But I like this, forgetting about how beautiful everything looks the way they portray the character so far, especially Ruby, Weiss, Jaune and Pyrrha is fantastic to me. It still has comedic moments but it takes itself far more serious, I feel like it has more understanding of what tone it should take. You know the way most Anime adapted from the Manga so they have a baseline to work off of and improve upon? Well the show never had that, and as much as I love it, it shows. The Manga seems to be the improved version so far, and as long as it sticks to the direction it's going I'm looking forward to how they'll handle the rest. We might get some proper moments between Weiss and Blake that we should have gotten in the finale.**

 **From how well they've been writing it, they might actually get me to like the Jaundice arc!**

 **Sorcery I tell you!**

 **Also can I harp on again about how beautiful it looks? It's like straight out of a fable, the way it should be!**

 **And it's free on Viz, so I'm showing my support and hoping you will too for its continued release.**

 **And uh…. Once you see how they drew Beacon just like… pretend that's what Beacon in this story looks like okay?**

 **No, onto the last thing, that being the Question!**

 **So I've already asked you who your favourite RWBY girl is, and you're most anticipated character so far, so here, I'm long forward to hearing what your most hated character is.**

 **Not the kind where they're on screen, you think they're horrible, evil and you want them to die, that's a good villain.**

 **I'm talking about the one that when they appear on screen or on a page you think 'ugh! I have to sit through them again?'**

 **That's what I'll looking for. Maybe if I can get a general consensus, I can do my best to make them a fun read.**

 **Until then, see ya!**


	10. Act 1: Part 9

…

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _How far do ya' think the Queens reign is anyway? What're the borders of the Vale? Aye, my farm covers plenty, but one of these days, I'd like to see that kingdom of Vacuo myself. Too afraid to go though, I hear there're some nasty monsters in the jungles between em'… You know what? How's about we go together some time, you and me? I'll pack something to fight with, use my saven's to hire a man or too and we can head out. What you think?_

 _Conversation between a farmer and his hand, who later ventured through the Valean Jungles to Vacuo. Their whereabouts now are unknown._

…

The ceremony is unlike any affair I could have imagined.

Hours. It was just hours after everything had calmed down. Hours after nobles had sent their men to kill me, they stood now before me.

The throne room had been scrubbed.

Over fifty corpses had been removed and the blood washed from the floors before it could stain.

And now, here I am, sitting on the throne again while some stranger reads off a long scroll.

Apparently, this whole thing's a bit of a slap-dash, according to Glynda at least.

Since the whole thing was instigated by a surprise appearance on my part, oaths and holy ceremony have been disregarded for the moment. She'd mentioned earlier how that might change and this whole… coronation might be redone later, but since everyone is still sort of reeling from what' just happened, and my power isn't still entirely stable despite what Ozpin claims, a more efficient one is what I get.

Honestly I think I prefer it this way.

No anointing's, no long speeches about how I'll defend the sovereignty of the nation and no over the top regalia.

Instead, I've been told that all I need to do personally is sit here until someone brings up the crown, let someone put it on my head and be done with it.

' **It's a little bit disappointing though… don't you think it should be grander after what we went through?'**

We? As far as I can recall _I'm_ the one that had to deal with all the headships. I don't even know what you are. _You_ apparently don't even know what you are, if I can even believe that.

A feel a gust of air by my ear, as if… _she,_ was letting out a huff.

' **I went through it just as much as you. I may not have been able to… well, experience it completely, but I definitely felt it as much as you.'**

I drown out the still ongoing, lengthy speech from the speaker at my side in favour of the conversation going on in my head, my surprise is palpable I feel.

She says she can feel things can she?

' **I can,'** she hums. **'Not on my own unfortunately, but things you feel I can as well. I think… I felt the pain of getting shot and removing the arrow, so that at least is evidence for it.'**

I feel her shiver, which I'm not sure how, since she's inside my head. Does she have a body if she's some weird sort of mental projection? All the same, it feels as if _I'm_ the one shivering.

' **Not that it was a positive experience by any means. Just in case, I think I'll remind you that we should discourage any attempt Yang makes at being a surgeon.'**

Despite myself, I stifle a laugh. Gods. Wouldn't that be embarrassing? All of this going on around me, and having people watch their queen suddenly burst out laughing for no reason.

Seriously though, what is this things - I can't even call them a person – deal? Is this another part of my visions? Is it some form of coping I've come up with to deal with the stress? Have I gone mad?

' **It might be the first one, though I'm not sure how since Rose hasn't mentioned it yet. I don't it's the second, considering I've been here the whole time and I'd** _ **hope**_ **it's not the last… though…. Would we even know if that is the case?'**

Aaaand apparently it can read thoughts not even directed at her.

' **Indeed. I've pretty much heard everything you've been thinking. Or… not heard, considering it's not your voice and… well, I don't think I have ears. Do I? I can't really see what I look like. Or, well. Move for much at all. Don't you need air for sound to travel? Is that a jab at you being an airhead?'**

Would you stop? What's with all these questions anyway? Shouldn't you already know?

' **How? Honestly I have as little an idea of what's going on as you do. In fact I only have your knowledge to go off of.'**

You do? How does that work?

' **I… again, I don't really know. I… have only experienced what you have. That being everything you have, but nothing else.'**

My eyes narrow in thought. So you only have my memories… no, you only have my experience, and yet somehow, we're still two different entities right? I mean, there's something different about you to me. They way you're… well, not _talking_ but you know. And you sound different than my voice, or even my own thoughts for that matter.

' **It is curious I agree. It's a little bit disorientating too you know? I'm here sifting through your thoughts as you have them and I have to identify which are offering to me and which you are just, well, having.'**

That…. Does sound confusing. I let out a sigh.

' **See! Like that one!'**

I can see that. Although I'm hoping your suggestion isn't for me to stop thinking.

' **I don't think you could if you tried.'**

Okay, why does that sound insulting?

'…'

I can hear your silence you know!

' **Well, yes, I do now, considering I perceive what you do.'**

…wha?

' **You're aware of something towards me, and in return I'm aware of it not only in the same way you are, but in the I am by you actually telling me.'**

I suppress a groan. This is far too confusing for me to deal with right now. I'm starting to get a headache just thinking about it.

' **I know, I can feel it too.'** She grumbles, and again I'm taken aback with how I can _feel_ the vibrations she makes in my own throat. This is a whole new level of weird.

It must have been something The Beacon did. That's the only explanation I can come up with. The question is… how? I can already tell the newcomer in my head don't have an answer for it.

' **I'm** _ **not**_ **a newcomer. Like I said, I've always been here, you've just never noticed. But I agree. Something in the flames made things…. Clearer between us. And yes, you're right, I don't know what.'**

Then how is this even useful? What's the point of having another voice in my head clogging up my thoughts if it literally can't offer me anything I don't already know?

' **It's not that bad. Well, admittedly it is, but at the same time you can already see how it might help can't you? You said it yourself, how we consider ourselves two separate entities… We have the same memories and experiences… the exact same but… perhaps I can offer a second opinion.**

How?

 **Well we do not think the same do we? That's clear from how we're having this conversation in the first place. It's…. like we have different personalities, isn't it?'**

It is… which means…. You think you can give me a different outlook nothings. If we know the exact same things, but react to it differently, then it's like having an advisor inside of my head, isn't it? That even if I know something, you can bring it into focus if you think it's important.

' **You read my mind.'**

Yes… I think I did.

' **That… was meant to be a joke.'**

Oh…

I blink.

Right. Oh, yeah, now I get it.

' **We'll work on that.'** She assures me.

From the looks of it, we'll need to.

' **At least you'll have someone to talk to right? About what Rose says… though I suppose you couldn't hide it from me anyway since I experience it too.'**

That is true, unless of course we – I – actually have gone mad and this is just a symptom of it.

' **We can pray that it's not… Though, if this is how it's going to be, I believe this makes us partners.'**

Huh. I guess it does. Should we… introduce ourselves?

' **I already know your name so… perhaps not. It's practically engraved on the back of my… well, not my hand, but you get the idea.'**

True, but does that go both ways? You… called yourself Cinder, right?

' **Indeed, although to be fair, technically** _ **we**_ **called me Cinder. I got the name from an idea inside your head after all.'**

I mean there was a _lot_ of fire.

' **You need not worry. We may have picked it, but** _ **I**_ **chose** **it. I like the name.'**

Well… that's good. We've been all sorts of busy with everything going on but, I guess it's nice to meet you Cinder.

I feel her nod, and at that, my eyes drift to the side.

Seriously, how long is this man going to speak for anyway?

Glynda catches my eyes actually. She's standing a little off to the right within the crowd of other nobles, watching me with a raised eyebrow.

Uh-oh.

Does she know I haven't been paying attention?

She must see the question on my face because a smirk crosses her lips and she nods slowly to me, eyebrows raising a little bit higher as I fight back a blush of embarrassment. Right then. I should probably start paying attention then shouldn't I?

' **You know,'** Cinder murmurs suddenly. **'There are a few interesting tricks we could try out while we're sitting here. All we're doing anyway is listening to this man drawl on. Seriously we should probably think about firing him when this is finished.'**

A tempting idea, but ultimately not something I'm going to do I think. These trick that Cinder mentions on the other hand… well she's right. I'm not really doing much right now.

' **I'm glad you see it my way. It's not much, actually it's something I realised we can do while we were speaking. It's not much but I feel like it may be useful, or at least some fun.'**

Well she's got me interested now.

' **Good. Now… don't move your head. Keep facing forwards right in the centre and move your eyes right. Keep them on Glynda.'**

I do so, turning back to the older woman, who gives me a surprised look all of a sudden. I'm not sure why exactly, but I smile her way all the same.

After a moment, she returns it.

' **Now, tell me. What what's happening on our left?'**

And how am I supposed to do that? My eyes are on the-

…wait a minute.

What am I seeing here?

I blink, trying to decipher it.

I know for a fact that I'm looking right at Glynda, but at the same time, an entirely different set of images are playing themselves in my head.

I… It looks like what I can see out of the corner of my eye.

Am I seeing what's on my left side too?

I already know the answer to that.

Cinder's looking the other way. She's looking to my left while I look right!

' **By the looks of it, we share the same eyes but not the same vision. I can't see anything that you wouldn't be able to, but it is as if I'm looking** _ **through**_ **your eyes like a window.'**

And whatever Cinder sees so can I in return. That… is all sorts of weird, but if it doesn't sound like something I could use I don't know what does.

I can say goodbye to tunnel vision at least, right?

Heh, if I'm honest, this is kind of cool. I'll need to take a minute later and-

"What say you, your majesty?"

Eh?

' **Eh?'**

I look up, blinking at the speaker, who's turned his eyes to me, along with every other man and woman in the room.

Did…. Did he just ask me a question?

I suddenly feel incredibly self-conscious. Oh gods, everyone's looking at me and I haven't been listening this whole time! What do I do? What did he ask?

Cinder?

' **I have no idea! I haven't been paying attention to that man's drivel for the last thirty minutes!'**

Damn it.

Well… it's not like this is a life or death thing right? It's just a little bit of embarrassment. They'll know I wasn't listening and probably laugh about my mistake in private.

…No. Death is better.

Screw it, in for a penny right?

I clear my throat. He'd asked me a question so I should probably respond.

"…Yes?"

Cinder's eyes moved and I see Glynda let out a sigh of relief.

Profit?

"Very well." He nods. "Then it is time to being, the most final of acts." He turns, raining his arm high into the air and raises his voice. "Her Majesty as completed the oath, rejoice now for our future."

Before my eyes, the nobles cheer. The same nobles that had distrusted me not even a day ago. The realisation that they can be so… _fake_ , makes my stomach churn. I say silent however, as Ozpin suddenly appears before me and bows.

I suppose that makes sense. In a way he was my sponsor. In the eyes of others, he and I would likely work close together.

Not that I'm really paying attention to him.

No. My eyes are on what is in his hands.

An intricate carving of roses, moulded in a circlet. The centre of each dotted with sparkling Rubies, and the rose petals shinning a beautiful gold.

Huh…

Honestly, with the colour scheme of the throne I thought it would have been silver.

"Crafted by the finest jewellers in the city," Ozpin smiles, mistaking my silence for speechlessness. "The noble court decided on a craftsmanship they feel was fitting for you your Majesty. Stunning is it not?"

Honestly? It was. I'd never seen something so… _rich_.

This was a symbol of wealth like no other. The Tribe could sell this for millions, they would never have to worry about food, clothes or anything else for years if they got their hands on this.

But it was more than that wasn't it?

This wasn't just a symbol of wealth.

It was a symbol of power.

This is the last confirmation that this was it.

I'm queen.

And as the crown is set upon my head, Ozpin smiles.

"I believe it suits you. Congratulations your majesty."

Funny. I'd thought I would have felt a weight off my shoulders at the end of this road, now that what Yang said of me being the ruler was true, how I'd been more protected than ever.

Instead.

The crown feels heavy upon my head.

* * *

…

…

* * *

My prayers are answered an hour later, when the ceremony ends and I'm left on my own.

Or, at least as on my own as I can be.

Yang is off doing…. Something, I'm not sure what, but she'd gone off with Glynda, which is all sorts of strange I think. What could those two have to talk about in the first place?

Anyway, it means right now she's not with me, but even making my way down the hallways it's not entirely private. There are guards stationed nearly every twenty feet. I guess that's nice to feel safe, but if I'm honest it feels kind of… stuffy because of them.

Especially the way I can feel their eyes follow me as I pass.

Well, it doesn't matter, not right now anyway, what does, is my trip to the infirmary. Which is surprising because really, what kind of palace needs one in the first place?

Well we do, and that's all there is to it right now. I'm here, standing in front of it, it's actually rather plain looking. A simple wooden door like it was any other room or office.

For a long time, it likely hasn't seen use, not until very recently, when Weiss had been admitted.

I knock on the door hesitantly. "Hello?" I call through. "May I come in?"

There's shuffling behind the door for a moment before it creaks open and I see a familiar face.

It should be. She's the one that treated my wounds.

"Ah! Your majesty," Peach blinks. "I didn't think you'd be here."

I smile politely. "Hello Doctor. May I came in?"

She chuckles, opening the door wide enough for me to slip through. "You're the queen now, and this is _your_ palace. I don't think you need to ask permission to enter its rooms. Especially from someone like me."

I shrug in return. "It seems like the polite thing to do, not just because you're working here at the moment but… well, you already know what you've done for me."

"Yes, I do… though, I'll admit if I had known who you were I might have been more likely to send you away."

Yeah, I'd guessed that. Not that I could blame her for it, it would have been the smart thing to do for sure.

I shake my head. "Let's not think about it, what's done is done. Can I ask about Weiss?"

"She-"

"I'm right here your Majesty."

I nearly jump out of my skin as Weiss' face meets my ears and I don't do as well at restraining my sped as I spin to face her. I hadn't even noticed her with her armour off, laying down on the table beside her.

Thankfully she doesn't seem to notice my shock. Peach does though, her shoulders are shaking.

Damn it. Isn't it punishable to laugh at your queen?

I clear my throat and make my way over to the lieutenant, and now that I get a good look at her in the aftermath I… feel cold.

The left side of Weiss' face is wrapped in bandages, slightly reddened by now old blood and over the eye itself.

I can't help myself. I raise a hand to her face, trailing my fingers over the wrappings. She lets me, her good eye drifting shut as I take her in. Shame pools in the pits of my stomach.

Gods.

"I'm so sorry Weiss."

She sighs. "Your majesty, I already said that-"

"I know what you said." I growl, cutting her off sharply. It makes her jump a little, and I have to force myself to calm down. I feel a hand on my shoulder, one that isn't there, as Cinder soothes me from the depths of my mind.

I turn my head slightly to Peach. "Can you give us a minute or two? Just… just a few?"

The woman with hair to match her name bows her head. "Of course your Majesty, I'll wait outside and leave you to… talk."

I nod turning back to a surprised Weiss as the door opens and shuts behind me.

A frown spreads across my face. "This is my fault," I tell her. "I know you said it wasn't, but we both know that isn't true. If I hadn't gone through with this the way I did then… I don't know. Things could have been different."

No. I know they could have been different. Listening to Ozpin's method had still been a success for some of the Roses.

But no. I had to be different, I had to be _special_ and do things my own way.

How stupid am I?

My eyes screw shut as I grit my teeth angrily. "I shouldn't' have even gotten you involved in the first place Weiss. You were already doing your duty in the city. I should never have taken advantage of your promise to put you in this sort of danger. If we hadn't met the way we did then I-"

"Ruby, stop."

I do, but only because her voice is so firm that it's instinctual.

My eyes open and Weiss sighs. Once again, I will say it. This decision was my own. Whether or not I knew of the danger it was one I made of my own volition. For that you should feel no guilt."

"Shouldn't I? We both know it Weiss, you promised to protect me yes, but only because of how I acted."

"You meant decent? Respectable? Kind? In what world would such qualities ever be considered bad things?"

"When they're what manipulates you to put your life on the line!" I snap.

"Manipulate?" she frowns "Is that what you call how you acted towards me?"

"What else would you call it?" I cry, throwing my hands up in the air. "Poor little princess Ruby with no idea what she was doing needs the honourable knight to protect her. I played on your fantasy! I used the fact that you stuck by your word to my advantage! You only promised to protect me because of who I was and I _used_ that."

"That's just irrational!" Weiss scowls back at me. "Where is this suddenly coming from?"

I look away, silent. She doesn't get it. Why can't she understand that she could have died and it would have been because of me? Even when I'd seen her corpse nailed to a _fucking_ wall she'd had no such injuries on her face and here, now, she's… she's…

I choke back the wretch that builds up in my throat, and force myself to ignore how badly my eyes sting.

I know unequivocally that my actions are what has caused this.

It's my faul-

I freeze as Weiss' hands take hold of mine, raising them up to her face.

"W-what are you-" I groan, clearing my throat of the quiver that tints my voice. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you."

I open my mouth to ask what, but before I can, Weiss had weaved my fingers into the edges of her bandages.

"Weiss!" I hiss. "You can't take them off!"

"The worst has passed already," she assures me. "They're just there to keep the blood from dripping down my face now."

Before my eyes the bandages fall away and I see the damage that has been done.

The feeling in my core feels even worse now.

"I-I-" My voice cracks, and I want so bad to look away.

There's a long, jagged line run right over her eye, bright red and painful, it's like someone took a paintbrush and swiped down over her face. The edges of the spoiled flesh are ripped fresh and even if I know it'll eventually improve, there's no doubt that it'll scar forever. I want so much to look away. But I can't. I can't look away, because Weiss is smiling.

"I can still see from it Ruby." She murmurs. "Peach was able to save it. All it is, is a mark, a wound sustained in battle, nothing else. You are a queen, not a warrior. It isn't something you should _ever_ feel guilty of." She scowls again. "And don't let me hear you speak ill of how you acted towards me. Despite what I did to _you_ when we first met, you treated me better than anyone else has since I came to Vale. Do you understand that? You forgave me for my actions back then, said that they didn't matter, now I'm returning those words. Don't ever feel shame for my choices. I don't regret them one but, and if I really _had_ lost my eye, I would have considered it worth the price of keeping you safe."

My eyes fall to the floor. "I know you would. That's just how you are."

And then, before I can really understand what I'm doing, reversing our hands so I'm the one holding hers, and draw them to my face.

"R-ruby?"

I don't answer, sighing deeply instead. Her hands feel cold, almost like ice but…. Right now, they feel… I don't know, like I needed them.

The heat in my body, the stress and tiredness leaks out through my skin at her touch, and I close my eyes, sighing again.

"Thank you." I whisper. "For… everything you've done, even though… I know it's more than what your duty would have required you to do. For what it's worth, I think you're the kind of knight that every other should aspire to."

I'm not brave enough to open my eyes and see her expression, but the sheer joy, as much Weiss as it could be, is enough to make me smile.

"Thank you Ruby. That means more to me than you know."

I nod, letting go a moment later and stepping back. The tears in my eyes may not have fallen, but all the same, a run a hand over my face to wipe them away.

"So… what are you going to do now?"

Weiss lets out a breath, taking a glance down at the hand I'd held, for deciding on something I'm not privy to and shrugging.

"Now? Things go back to the way they were, for me at least. You'll be queen, and I'll go back to the captain." She smiled wirily at me. "You need not worry though, I'll do my best to keep Vale in order and its people safe, you have my word."

Right. That was it wasn't it?

Weiss would go back down there to the city, back to her position as lieutenant.

I…

Don't know why that sounds so upsetting to me.

It's good isn't it? She'd return to Port, who'd no doubt be proud of all she's accomplished.

Weiss would be too. I know it. She'd wear her achievement, her actions and the fact that I sit upon the throne because of her as a badge of honour.

As she should!

But the idea… doesn't sit well with me.

' **Neither does it with me. How troublesome. Weiss is the perfect example of a knight. We both know down there in the city that as well as she would do, she will be wasted as a mere lieutenant.'**

She would be.

"Weiss," I say suddenly. "Could you grant me one more request?"

She blinks in surprise, straightening up. "Of course your- Ruby! Just say the word and whatever you wish I'll do!"

"Could you stay here? At least until tomorrow when I speak to the court again?"

"I… yes, I can if that is what you wish. But… is there a reason why? If I may ask?"

I bite my lip. "I just think you should be there. It's complicated but… I've come to a decision on something and I think you should be there to hear it."

After a moment, she nods. "Very well. You have my word that I will be there."

My shoulders slump suddenly as I relax. "Good. That's good. Then, I'll leave you be."

"Thank you your Majesty."

I nod, and with that, make my way out of the infirmary. On my way out, Peach nods to me.

"I will remain until I can procure Lieutenant Schnee a proper treatment, something to help her manage her scar when it, well, begins to itch.

I swallow. "Thank you. And, I'd appreciate it if afterwards you could stay on… for… employment."

The older woman stares at me. "I- I'm sorry?"

At least at her surprise, I can find some amusement in it. "I'm offering you a position here. If you want it."

That doesn't seem to help much, in fact it just makes her eyes widen further. "But, why?"

"You said it yourself didn't you? You might have turned me away if you had known who I was, but honestly, I don't think you would have. You would have helped a little girl bleeding out no matter what their last name was. Without you I probably would have died anyway. This… it's your reward, if you want to think of it like that. You deserve one."

I nod to her, turning away to leave her in that state, and as I do, I very clearly hear her stumble back into the room.

I smile. For now, it's enough.

' **So then, what now?'**

Don't you already know the answer? I think we should head to the palace's library, I believe there's some reading we need to do.

* * *

…

…

* * *

The mumbles of courts are muffled by my own thoughts, but I get the general consensus.

This is the first time the new queen will get to properly interact with her assortment of nobles. On any other day, that might have been enough to make me feel a little bit queasy, but today, things were different. I'd spent the night in the library looking over what I need to know for today.

I found a lot, but the most interesting actually came from circumstance.

Apparently short naps weren't enough to force me into visions of the future.

I'm not really sure as to _why_ that is the case, but it's an interesting titbit all the same.

Other than that, the number of nobility has shrunk today. Most had convened here due to Ozpin's call, but most of them had lands that needed tending to far out from the city. While many likely wanted to see how I'd fair on my first few days, their own fiefdoms came first, which lowered the number of people within the royal court at the moment from over a hundred to a more manageable forty.

Still a big enough number, but the difference is honestly more noticeable than the fact that they're here at all.

For the last few hours while I've sat on the throne, each has gone over the situation as they see it within the kingdom, and generally just introduced themselves formally.

Most were, well, mundane and felt like a slog to get through, but one or two were interesting.

Like one man, what was his name?

' **Oobleck.'**

Right! That was it. Oobleck. A man with wild bright green hair and spoke so fast I almost got dizzy. He was enthusiastic though, most so than I'd though nobles were _allowed_ to be, and told me how much he looked forward to working with me.

He was the first I actually believed.

' **We can ask Glynda about his background later, for now though, there is a lull in the conversation, it would be best to use it.'**

I nod quickly, eyes drifting off to the side. I can see Weiss, in the crowd just like she'd promised. Yang was next to her, from what I can see, talking her ear off, and the lieutenant looks like she's listening while keeping an eye on the people around her. Her lips move ever so often, answering the questions my sister throws her way or giving her opinion on something every so often, which from what I can see, makes the blonde laugh more than once. I know that now is the right time and with Cinder's encouragement, I stand.

All at once, the court falls into silence.

' **Don't look nervous.'**

I know, I'm just going over my lines.

I take a breath, raising my voice so that all can hear it.

"Weiss Schnee. Step forward."

The room descends into whispers almost immediately. Most, likely don't even know who she is, but as soon as she steps into the centre of the room, dressed in her armour, sword at her side and white hair clearly on display, most can piece together at least _what_ she is.

I wonder how many are upset that I've called forward at Atlesian before any of them.

I know Weiss can sense it just as well as I can, because she looks a little nervous. I see her swallow as she clears her throat. "Yes your Majesty?"

Right. Here's where it begins.

"State your title."

"Your grace?"

"State your name, position and title, Weiss Schnee."

Unsure of what to do, she does so. "Weiss Schnee, lieutenant stationed under Captain Peter Port of Vale's eastern district and… second daughter of the Schnee line, members of the Atlesian Tribunal."

Huh. That last one is surprising.

I guess I'll have to file that away to ask her about it later. Right now though, something more important.

"You state yourself as Atlesian, yet as a member of The Vale's army, you swore to serve Vale, have you not?"

"… I have your Majesty."

"And yet, when given orders by your queen, you refused to follow them."

That gets a defined reaction from the people around us. They look excited. They think they're going to see something. Well they're right in that regard.

Weiss' eyes dark around fearfully, then back to me, confusion written across her face clear as day. "Your Majesty?"

I can't give the game away yet. "Did I not say that once I became queen, I would give you what you deserved for refusing that order?"

A pause.

She swallows.

"You… you did."

I hum, turning away from her for a moment. And pace back and forth before her. "Did you know, that centuries ago, when Vale was at the very height of its power, it had Atlesian's in its service?" I glance at her. "Well?"

Weiss' eyes meet mine, and I can see the question in them.

' _What do you want me to say?'_

The truth, I want to tell her, but here in front of so many eyes, that's not possible.

After a moment, she answers.

"I did not your grace."

"It's an interesting little bit of history to be sure." I say. "Nowadays, it isn't of much use all things considered, but from what I've read they were a sight to behold. They had their own titles specifically for them too, considering the positions they were given."

I stop, right in front of her.

"Lieutenant Schnee. Give me your sword."

In an instant Weiss' shoulders go ridged, hand falling to the pommel of her blade.

"Your grace… this is a family blade. It's been with us for generations."

The wrong thing to say, I know it, she knows it and everyone around us knows it, because they've devolved into hushed gasps at what is essentially Weiss refusing my words.

I know why too.

She doesn't know what to think of my sudden act.

And that's what it is, an act.

Come on Weiss, this needs to be a statement to everyone, just go with it!

I hope my voice sounds as regal as it does in my head.

"Then I'm sure that will make it all the more impactful. Now, Lieutenant Weiss, offer me your sword.

Hesitantly, Weiss unsheathed her sword, the hiss of steel cutting through the whispers. She turns the blade, tip aimed towards her heart.

I grasp the sabre firmly and raised it up to my face, gazing at my reflecting in the steel.

"According to Vale customs, The Beacon is revered as a divine flame, and as such, gives me the authority to bless those beneath me, which is good, because it means I can do this without the fuss of going through so many people."

And there it is.

I can see it in her eyes, something just clicks and she suddenly realises what's going on. Her mouth falls open.

"Y-you're majesty you… are you-?"

"It is true you went against my orders. You ignored me, disobeyed me… and for that, I am grateful."

And everyone around us goes _very_ quiet. In the corner of my eye, I can see yeah, in the shadow of the balcony with a massive grin plastered on her face.

I gaze straight into Weiss' eyes.

And smile.

"Weiss Schnee; you displayed honour and loyalty in staying by my side through the events of the past few days, where many would have stepped aside, or simply distanced themselves, you promised to stay by me, and you did. You showed courage and valour in not only defending me, but would have laid down your life to protect my own, something that was only avoided because of your own skill, your own will."

My eyes don't leave Weiss, but I can feel Cinder's roaming the room. Not all of them have quite got it yet, but those who have look tremendously entertained.

I continue.

"In the days leading up to this, you showed not only generosity in providing me shelter, but compassion and wisdom in offering me council, in allowing me to speak my mind in a way that strengthened my own resolve. For that, I am thankful, but even more so, I desire to learn from your example."

' **Laying it on a little thick aren't you?'**

This was literally the basic guideline for knighthood they had in the library you know this!

"And finally, I have seen in you the blossoming of humility, of hardship and the willingness to learn and change in the face of new knowledge. All of this, I see in you, and it is something I cannot ignore, no matter that your blood is that of Atlas."

"And so… I have a question for you."

I lift the tip of the sabre to her shoulder, and I hear the tiniest hiss as she takes a sharp breath.

"Weiss Schnee, do you, as a noble borne of Atlas, pledge your service to The Vale, to the crown and to its people?"

"I-I do!" she gasps, disbelief, but more than that, excitement in her voice. "Yes! I do!"

"Then take the pledge. I believe you know the words, or at least your own variation of them. Declare them here before me and the court. Tell me who you are, tell me what you are."

There is a pause, and Weiss takes a breath.

And she speaks the Knights Vows.

" _I am the shield of the weak and the sword of the fierce, I am the Argus of the defenceless and demon of the damned. To this end, I pledge my body to the kingdom, my soul to the crown and my heart to the people of Vale. In peace there is valour, in war there is honour and in both I lay down my life. This I swear it by the name of the gods and by my name, let my pledge be written down in the annals and may my actions hold true until my end."_

' **She changed then a little bit, I wonder if that was on purpose.'**

"Then first, I grant you the title of Sire Schnee," I announce, tapping her sabre on her left shoulder, and then her right. knight of The Vale. May you serve with all of your spirit until your last day."

Weiss lets out a stuttering breath. She clearly can't believe this, I can see on her face, how she's reeling from what's just happened.

' **Poor Weiss then, we're not quite finished.'**

"And for your actions," I raise my voice again, cutting off the chatter of the nobles before it can even begin. I can see it all around me; how they've already started planning. What I've just done has already gone against what the council has allowed. Knighting a foreigner, most must be in some form or another of shock.

But they're thinking, scheming. I can see the gears turning in their head. They want to know how they can use the newly appointed knight to their advantage. They want to see if they can use her to get to me, to push their narrative, their desires.

A pit of snakes, truly.

Fortunately, I already have an answer to that.

' **You're welcome by the way.'**

You're me, shush.

"For your skill and abilities, there is more I must grant you, more that must be awarded to one of your calibre. Sir Schnee, you have shown that I can rely on you once already, I wish to do so again. And so, I bestow upon you the name given to those Altesian's of old. The bodyguard of the crown,

The Myrtenaster."

"I hope you can live up to your duty."

* * *

…

…

* * *

Most of the court day went as expected I think, that being the general shock of what I'd just proclaimed. People didn't know what to expect, that was for sure, and after what I'd just done, I'd reaffirmed myself as an anomaly.

Good.

I need that.

People wouldn't be able to make plans around me if they couldn't predict what I would do.

Of course… there's a danger to that. If they think I'm too much of a danger then… I guess they could react poorly.

Well, in for a penny right?

' **Please don't.'** Cinder mutters as I make my way down the hallway, this one, to my bedchambers. I haven't even seen them yet, so I'm kind of excited. **'I'm fairly certain that I'll share your fate. I would appreciate it if you didn't encourage another coup.'**

We still need to talk about that you know? If Rose doesn't give me any answers to you then I'm going to freak out.

"Ruby!"

I stop in my tracks, turning to the voice of my new bodyguard as she jogs towards me.

A moment later she's halted in front of me and breathing heavily. How long has she been looking for me?

"I…" she pants. "I want to know why."

I tilt my head. "What do you mean?"

Weiss shook her head. "What do I mean? You- You just…. You knighted me!"

I frown. "Was… that a mistake? Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes –I mean- No, but, to do something like that in front of…. Them I… why did you do it?"

"I already told you Weiss, didn't I? I told all of them out there exactly why I did it."

"But to _me_. An Atlesian!"

"That doesn't matter to me. I mean, okay, the nobility thing I'd guess because, I mean you're you, but I didn't expect you to be as high up as you told everyone." I blink. "Do you think that'll cause problems? That I knighted you? You said your family's part of the tribunal isn't it?"

Weiss sighs, understanding that she's not going to get any great revelation out of me right now because really, I don't have one. I wanted Weiss to stay here, and this is the perfect way!

' **We both know there were other ways. A simple order would have been enough.'**

Would you have left Weiss unrewarded for all she did?

' **Hm… not at all.'**

"No I…. don't believe it would matter." Weiss tells me. "I… well there are certain circumstances back home that allow me to make my own decisions in this regard. But… I just…"

"Weiss," I mutter softly, stepping forward and resting a hand on her shoulder in what I hope is a comforting way. She looks genuinely distraught. "Tell me what's wrong?"

The silence draws out for a good minute.

Before she finally sighs.

"It's just… I don't know Ruby. Being a knight has been my goal, my _dream_ for years, even before I left Atlas it's what I've wanted to be and I… I worked _so hard_ to get where I was, and even though I thought, deep down that here in Vale that I'd never get the chance to become a knight I pushed forward." She shakes her head incredulously. "And then you just come out of nowhere, the _princess_ of the kingdom, you take the crown back in a matter of days and the next thing I know you've given me what I've wanted this whole time. In the blink of an eye!"

She looks away. "I just… this can't be real. This can't have been your decision"

The realisation hits me like a hammer.

"You think this is some mistake don't you?" I whisper. "You think you're just going to get a wakeup call and all of this will disappear? You don't know what to think about the status I've given you"

A look of shame crosses over her face. "I-I don't mean to take away from your decisions Ruby but I fear you've made a mistake. There are many knights with far more experience, more connections and wisdom that I do. Any of them could have been someone to have at your side. I… I fear that your opinion of my capabilities are coloured by biased and I don't wish to endanger you with my failures."

I stare.

Once again, Weiss those something at me that I honestly have no clue how to respond. _What am I supposed to that?!_

What would Yang do?

Oh!

Without much thought, I raise my fist and throw a punch at Weiss' arm.

As expected, it doesn't do much in terms of hurting her.

What it does do, is freeze her.

She blinks, looking down at her arm where my fist had connected, and then slowly back up to me.

"Wha-"

"Stop being stupid, stupid!"

" _Wha-"_

"Do you have that little faith in me that you'd think I didn't know what I was doing?" I pout. Wait, no I'm not pouting!

' **You are definitely pouting. It's actually adorable.'**

"I've seen what you're capable of." I push on, ignoring Cinder's blatantly false allegation **. "** I've seen how you fight, and I don't think I've _ever_ seen anyone take on as many foes as you did all by yourself. If you really think you're not capable then I don't know what to tell you. _I'm not finished!_ " I snap, pointing a finger at her as she makes to argue. "If you really think I'm biased because of the timer I've spent with you then you're damn right I am!"

Weiss looks genuinely confused. "I don't understand. Your majesty they… they were mere foot-soldiers. Surely you see that there are better choices than me."

I glare at her angrily, this constant depreciation of herself is beginning to irritate me.

"In case you haven't picked up on it Weiss, I don't have the most trust for _knights_. Rivers and his men were good people, but all I can see when I look at others is a potential enemy. I don't trust them. I trust _you_." I step forward, inches from her face now and hoping that it works in emphasising my point. "I trusted you enough to sleep next to you, to go out on patrol with you knowing you'd guide me, I trusted you to dress my wounds and defend my life. And each and every time, my trust was proven to be rightly placed. And now I'm trusting you again, not just to protect me, but to watch me."

"W-what?"

"Do you know what a Myrtenaster is? It's a title specifically created by the Rose line hundreds of years ago, dubbing people who had a very specific job throughout each monarch's reign. They stood by their side not just as their sword and shield, but as someone who quelled their mistakes, advised them when they could and taught them what they knew. I _need_ that Weiss. I've practically fallen into this role. I have next to no knowledge on how to rule a kingdom, and eventually I'll need to open doors to others like Atlas. I need some who'll actually speak to me truthfully. I know you will, I trust you to, more than I do some stranger who said a few words at a ceremony and parades around as some bastion of chivalry. You've shown me all of that in less than a _week_!"

Too angry, far too angry for what's going on. Why am I raising my voice like this?

' **You're right though, aren't you? This uncertainty she shows is reprehensible. How can she believe she isn't up to the task after what we've seen of her?"**

I can feel it. Cinder's angry too. She… she's… wait…

I shake my head, focusing back on the matter at hand. "It doesn't matter now. You're my knight. You swore it, and in doing so you are bound to obey my orders. I've _ordered_ you to take this position. If that's the only way I'm going to get you to do this, then I'll take it. Think of it as your punishment."

"… Punishment," Weiss laughs dimly. "Being appointed as the queens second is hardly anything of the sort."

My scowl fades. Damn it. She sounds so dulled. What's wrong Weiss? "I guess it's not…. You know what is though?"

"What?"

"Making you think I'm going to punish you in front of the whole court and taking your sword as if I was relinquishing it from you."

Weiss' mouth falls open. "You- you did all of that on _purpose_?!"

A grin stretches across my face "I did say I was going to get you back for going against my orders earlier didn't I?"

"A-and you thought taking years off my life was the way to go about it!?"

"Yep!"

' **It** _ **was**_ **incredibly funny seeing her panic.'**

After a long moment, Weiss sighs. "To think I'm in service of such a cruel queen."

"Heh… you don't seem to upset about it, considering that smile on your face."

"No… I suppose not." The Lieutenant- No, the Knightess smiles. "Thank you Ruby… I really do mean it. I'm… grateful for all you've done for me.

"I…" I pause as a breath of hot air comes down on my neck. She's doing… something, it's as if Cinder's leaning forward inside my head and I feel compelled to do the same. Oh… and I've just realised that…. I haven't pulled away since getting up in Weiss' face. Maybe… maybe I should?

' **Or perhaps not.'**

Maybe… but… what am I supposed to do then?

I feel the images of Cinder's gaze drift into my head. She's… looking slightly lower than the Weiss' eyes. I can't help but lick my lips.

Why hasn't Weiss pulled away either?

"I…"

"Aw~ Look at you two!"

I nearly jump out of my skin at the third voice, and spin to glare at the offender vehemently.

Yang grins at us, sauntering towards us with her hands linked behind her head.

Weiss it seems particularly vexed by my sister's appearance because she's glaring openly her way. "What are you doing here?" she growls. "And where have you been? The only time I say you before the ceremony was when I was covered in blood!"

Yang blinks suddenly, as if only realising that. "Oh, yeah! Sorry about that. I was with Goodwitch."

I tilt my head. "The whole time?"

"Yep! Me and her have been working things out, arranging living arrangements and stuff. Oh! And she's promised to talk to some smiths about getting me some upgrades!"

"What kind of upgrades?"

She shrugs. "No clue. But hey, I'm not going to turn down free stuff. How often am I going to have people doing things like this for me?"

I shoot her a deadpan look. "All the time Yang. You live here now, remember?"

"Oh… yeah, you're right… huh…"

"What is it?"

"I dunno I'm just thinking… what do we do now then? I mean. You're queen so…"

I know what she means. Having a crown on my head was a start, but just sitting around wasn't exactly… well it wasn't what I have planned.

The image of a blood-red sky and eyes the same are clear in my head.

I feel Cinder shiver

I can't afford it. I have things I need to do. Things I need to plan.

I have a feeling things aren't even close to being over.

Not by a long shot.

"Right now, nothing." Weiss says, seeing my expression and resting a hand on my shoulder. "For now, I think it best you rest."

Yang rolls her eyes, and I feel Cinder do the same.

…still weird.

"Are you her granny now Snow angel?"

"I'm her bodyguard." Weiss responds, and I can see the subtle way she puffs out her chest in pride. "I must do everything I can live up to the expectations upon me now as… as the _Myrtenaster._ "

"Aw~" Yang coos, and Weiss shrieks as my sister practically throws herself forward wrapping a bare arm around Weiss' neck. "Look at you acting all serious. It's so cute!"

"I-I am not _cute!_ " Weiss growls indignantly, though the bright red flush on her face retracted from it significantly. "I'm serious! I'm always serious!"

"Totally adorable," Yang grins widely. "You're cure when you're flustered."

"I will _end_ you!"

"Oooh~ Feisty, I like that."

"What is wrong with you today?!"

"What? I'm in a good mood."

"If this is a good mood for you I'll make sure to avoid it."

"You sure about that?" Yang asks with a raised eyebrow. "Tut, tut. That's a little bit naughty don't you think? Talking to a princess like that?"

I stare, but Weiss freezes completely. "What are you talking about?"

The smirk on Yang's face is positively pompous. "Well since Ruby's the Queen now, I've been hashing out some details with Goodwitch and what would you know, turns out that as Rubes' loving sister, I get the title of princess."

She leans in so that her lips are _right_ next to Weiss' ear. "Guess that means you'll need to protect me too. I'm _sooo~_ grateful that you're willing to offer your body to me like that."

I don't miss the double entendre, and have to suppress a sigh. Honestly, Yang should know not to do that. Just look at her; Weiss is redder than I've ever seen her. She's clearly making her uncomfortable.

' **Although that is an interesting development. Yang is a princess now. Interesting.'**

Oh, yeah, right, that's a thing now… ugh, how many more people am I going to have to beat away from her now?

' **To be fair, they'll be labelled as 'suitors' now.'**

"N-no way!" Weiss squeaks diminutively in the meantime, shaking free from Yang's hold and slashing her arms through the air in a cross-motion. "Not a chance, absolutely not! There's no way I could- I wouldn't be able to-"

"Don't worry Weiss, we have _lots_ of time to get to know each other. I mean, when you're not with Ruby you'll be with me. And I plan to take full advantage of my new gig. I think I heard that there's a royal bath somewhere around here. You might need to join me so that I'm _extra_ safe, watch my back, or if you like, my front."

I can tell Yang is really pushing it now, because Weiss's breath comes out in strangled gasps.

' **Is… she frothing?'**

"That's enough Yang," I sigh. "Stop torturing her already."

"Aw come on Rubes," Yang laughs. "I think she's enjoying it."

What?

"D-don't be ridiculous!" Weiss squawks. "I'm not some the kind who would fall for such tactics!"

"So you're saying you could fall though?"

"ARGH!"

I groan tiredly. "What are you two even talking about you? I swear I've completely lost track of this conversation.

My sister snickers. "Don't worry about it Ruby, you'll figure it out eventually. By then things should be handled."

"They will not!"

"If you say so Snow Angel."

I roll my eyes. "Fine, keep your secrets. I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Weiss, your room is the next one over I think, you already know where yours is right Yang?"

"Yep!"

"Good," I turn, raising a hand back at them and waving. "Then I'm going. If I sleep for a week don't worry too much."

"You got it, g'night Rubes."

I leave, my footsteps echoing down the hall as I turn the corner.

And right as I do, I hear Yang's parting words.

"Oh~ and you're staring _that_ way too. I didn't know you had it in ya' Weissy. Good to know you have an interest in both. Hey, if you want, I can show you mine~"

" _I will end you Xiao-Long!"_

' **You know,'** Cinder muses. **'I know she's not serious, but is Yang keeps pushing it then one of these days Weiss might snap.'**

Yeah.

I sigh. I'm worried about that too. All it'll take is Yang going too far and Weiss getting too mad to handle it. I'm worried about what might happen then.

' **That's… not what I meant'**

I blink. Huh? What are you talking about?

' **I… nothing,'** Cinder sighs. **'I think I've realised that despite our shared mind,** _ **I'm**_ **slightly more mature than you in at least one aspect… however that works.'**

What does that even mean?

' **Don't worry about it Ruby… I'm sure you'll find out eventually.'**

* * *

 **...**

 **...**

* * *

 **Well. That was fun right? Ruby's finally got what she's looking for… or, at least Opzin has in a way, and hey! Weiss got a reward for her efforts. I wonder how all those uptight nobles are going to react in the future? To this, or whatever else Ruby comes up with.**

 **We don't know much about Cinder at the moment, but it sounds like neither does she.**

 **Is she telling the truth? Can she be trusted? Who knows?**

 **I'd stick around for more, maybe go on a little bit of a longer spiel but I'm just back from a week-long trip, this is the first time I've been in my house since and I'm exhausted, (I hope it doesn't show above) so I'll throw out an easier question this time.**

 **Which character would you have as your partner if you had to pick? And why? It can be anyone, hero or villain. (Though, maybe not Salem, Ozpin or the gods for obvious reasons.) Would it be for personality? Teamwork potential? Practicality? Or… Friendship** **™?**


	11. Act 1: Part 10

…

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _Have you ever heard of the Bloody Rose? Indeed, The King Who Bled. A comical name, don't you think? A good way of prettying up what he did. I remember my grandfather, telling me the stories that his grandfather told him, about the king who butchered his prisoners, bled them like pigs and literally bathed in their blood._

 _He ruled us, not three hundred years ago, and we nearly lost a war because of him, one that almost turned the other three kingdoms on us… yes, yes I know, his brother and sister stopped him, but do you remember how well that turned out? When their swords could only be pointed at one another? More war, between them, their children, and their children's children and gave the century its name. For all three lines, their ascension and fall were bloody, and now here we are again… do you really think this queen is going to be any different?_

 _Members of courts speaking in hushed whispered about the 100 years of Red._

…

"Enjoying yourself?"

I sigh, opening my eyes to greet the blood red sky I was unfortunately beginning to grow accustomed to.

"Not sure to be honest. I'm beginning to think that there's a lot more stress to come with this job now, but hey what girl doesn't like some good jewellery am I right?"

"Sarcasm? Really?"

I glare at Rose, who's sitting on a ruined wall atop a hill, overlooking a desecrated farm. "Can you even _be_ surprised about it? You already know what I'm going to say don't you?"

"Didn't another Rose tell you it was more complicated than that?"

"Oh they did," I grunt. "But they forgot to mention the even bigger issue. I'm sure you already know what it is."

No response. Rose's eyes weren't on me, but the landscape before her, and the slow but steady approach of black on the horizon.

The stuff makes me growl as I look up at her. "Well? Nothing to say?"

"I…" Rose's face flickered with emotion, something I should have recognised on my own face, but didn't. "I don't know what you're talking."

"Oh _please_." I scoff. "Like I'm going to believe you had no idea about the _voice inside my head."_

"W-what?"

"I just said don't-"

"N-no," the older version of myself shook her head, on hand rising up to hold the side of her head. "I… I can't tell what you're saying. Something… somethings happening. It's like my minds filled with static."

What?

I narrow my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I just said I don't know!" she hisses, though it loses some effect since she's not looking directly at me. "It's like there's something lodged inside my skull I can… I can hear bits of what you're saying – or… remember them – but you- you must be talking about…. Something specific because it's done something… to me. It's not even like drawing a blank. There's something there that _hurts_ to think about."

"And yet you can recall the rest of what I'm saying.

It made no sense whatsoever, but, then again, what did in regard to Rose.

Alright fine.

I guess getting answers regarding Cinder was off the table.

Not great, but right now it wasn't the end of the world. It meant it had _something_ to do with this though, right?

"Do you know what it could be?"

"Not a clue. Did you get cursed somehow?"

I stare. "Cursed?"

"It's happened once to me already." She groans, hand falling away from her head as we slowly move away for the specifics of the previous question. "It did something to my head, made me feel all weird but… it did something to my body too. Couldn't even tell you what, but it faded away eventually, so it was never a big deal. This feels…. Not the same, but similar, like somethings messing with me."

She turns my way. "Sorry, but whatever it is you want to know, it looks like I can't help…. Maybe the next Rose can."

My shoulders slump as I sigh. I can feel a headache coming on, which sucks considering this is supposed to be the time I'm sleeping, resting. "Okay, so what do you have for me then? Advice on something? I don't think I'm in need of a speech right now. And I'm hoping there won't be a sudden attack when I wake up."

"Not that I know of," Rose chuckles, leaning back a little against the top of the wall. Before letting out a heavy sigh and looking… miserable. "But I think I've got something that could be a big deal… if you know how to use it."

I nod. "Well? What is it?"

She doesn't answer for a moment, motioning to her side and patting the spot next to her. Taking the hint, I climb up the wall, fixing myself so that I'm now sitting beside her. After a few moments where she waited, likely to make sure I was there, she spoke.

"Tomorrow's going to be your first day on the job, and believe me, being Queen is exactly that. It'll be the first time you make some major decisions."

"Yeah?" I hum, eyes trailing up to the sky, to the dark shapes blotting out a pale sun. "What like?"

"Like consolidating power. You're young, and as well as your coronation went despite everything, you're still on shaky grounds. The common folk will be around this time, getting to know of you, but while they'll mostly be hopefully, a lot of the nobility will be looking for an opportunity."

"You'll be getting… I guess you can call them requests, from all sorts of people, most of the nobles, to take action on something. For some, it might be signing a document, granting a title or land, maybe approving a plan or building… there are more important ones however."

She sighs deeply, and I can feel it again. The remorse. "When it was my turn, Ozpin and Glynda arranged a few major choices for me, ones that took up a lot of attention, time, and resources." Rose grimaces, pulling her legs up closer to her chest. "The Rose's I spoke to talked about diplomatic talks, trade routes they'd established, and how some of them wasted far too much time, more than we could allow. Because of that, I went for a far more militaristic approach, building a fortress on the Island of Vytal."

"How's that work out?"

"It didn't fail… but, it didn't garner any worth wild results, not with how little trust I had. It slowed things down, forced me to take my attention off other matters. In the end, it meant I didn't have enough time for… all of this." She finished, gesturing to the wastelands before us.

"That's another thing." I mutter. "How exactly does all of this… happen? When will the Grimm appear? How?"

"That's… complicated."

I scowl. "Uncomplicated it."

"No I mean it's really, _really_ complicated. As in I have no idea how it works."

"But that's not what I asked."

"It's how I'll explain it though. I asked the same question to a different Rose, and apparently she asked it to another. They gave me the time I had left, where it would first appear, everything. Thing is, it didn't."

I look up. "What?"

"It happened later than she said, in bigger numbers initially before steadying out, in a different place too. She said Vytal, that's why I built a fortress there, only for the first Grimm to show up in Vacuo of all places. I… I have a theory on it, on the working of this, but I'm not sure."

"Well it's not like I'm missing out by hearing it. Go on."

"I think the Grimm are intelligent."

I suppress the urge to sigh and roll my eyes. "Yeah, I gathered that." I say, but she shakes her head.

"No, I mean in an almost omnipotent kind of way.

…What?

"The more I looked into the futures of other Roses, judging their actions, the more it became clear. It's like the more successful I – we – are, the longer the Grimm are held back, the longer we go without them even _appearing._ It's like… it's like they can see the strength building and hold off to build their own in turn."

I'm… not sure what to make of that. It doesn't sound possible. If the Grimm had some sort of Omnipotent force behind them then did I even have a chance?

I bite my lip. "So what are you suggesting I should so then?"

Rose shrugs. "It's up to you. Right now, you're at a crossroads. My decisions were failures, as were other Roses, but that doesn't mean all options are exhausted. I'll go through the ones I know about so you know to avoid them… whatever ones are left will be up to you to choose from."

Trial by error… the fact that this is my strategy is slightly terrifying.

"You're telling me."

For what feels like hours, but could be only a few minutes in this warped reality, I sit there and listen as Rose recounts her knowledge. Her successes and failures, things she'd investigated and others she'd left alone. Recommendations and warnings and above all else advice on ruling, from the few years she'd been able to.

I don't even notice the sea of black until it's already upon us, and as it crashes down atop of us.

Rose smiles.

And I'm greeted by the darkness.

* * *

…

…

* * *

I'm greeted by rays of dawn, cracking through the curtains ever-so-slightly. I yawn, laying back against the soft pillows under my head and savouring the proper warms of my bed.;

It's a _nice_ bed.

I'm not picky, I don't think, I've slept on the ground plenty of times, and the Tribe wasn't known for comforts like this much at all.

I don't think I could go back though.

This is too good.

With a soft groan I pull myself up, dragging the sheets to cover my chest as I gaze around blearily.

That's right.

I'm in my chambers.

The _royal_ bedroom.

Funny enough; I think it suits me:

I lay on a rounded bed, with pillars at my back and at the end of the bed holding up red silk curtains.

My sheets are the same material and colour, and damn if I don't notice. I think this is the most comfortable I've ever been in my life!

Did I mention how soft it was?

' **Yes you did.** '

I flinch in shock as Cinder's voice echoes through my head.

She's still here!

' **Of course I am'** I hear her smirk. **'Like I said before, we're together now'**

I frown.

Are we? Rose didn't seem to agree.

'… **yes… I know. Although I wouldn't say she disagreed. It's…. like she didn't know what I was. She didn't know I existed and when you tried to mention me…'**

"Something blocked her," I say aloud. "It wasn't like she'd just forgotten or it never happened to her, that _you_ never happened to her. It was as if something was stopping her from recalling you."

' **She mentioned a curse… whatever it may be'**

We'll have to be alert for something like that. If something affecting future versions of myself then I could very well be in trouble.

I sigh.

Can't I just go back to bed? This is too much to be worrying about first thing in the morning.

A knock on my door answers my question almost like it's on purpose.

"Your Majesty?" I hear Weiss' voice through the door. "Are you awake?"

I consider just not answering for a moment, before realising that would mean I'd be ignoring Weiss and leaving her out there to squirm so I sigh. "Yes Weiss. I'm up. Give me a few minutes to dress myself and I'll be right out."

I glance over to the clothes laid out for me at my tableside. I'd been after some talk with a few of the servants that I _wouldn't_ be wearing a dress just yet.

Or at all if I could help it.

' **I like dresses'**

How? You're me?

' **You can't hide from your femininity!"**

I roll my eyes, realising I'd been quiet and Weiss is talking to me again.

"Sorry," I call. "What was that?"

"I asked if you would you like me to call servants into your room."

I blink.

"Why would I need servants?"

"…Right sorry. I suppose you won't appreciate others dressing you."

Another blink. "Is that what nobility does?" I chuff. "They actually make other people dress them?"

"The ways of the noble are strange milady." Weiss hums through the door, more amused this time.

"Sounds like it." I agree, fastening the sting of my corset and finishing off my boots. I glance to my side, and the last article of clothing laid out for me.

It had been something I'd requested just before going to bed…

A long red cloak, with a silver rose pendant decoration the front as a clasp.

' **It looks good.'**

"We'll see."

I have work to do, an important choice to make today.

There is no time to waste.

* * *

…

…

* * *

We arrive in a small study a few minutes later, something that reminds me similarly of Port's office in a way.

It's far more lavish though, from the golden encrusts on the edges of the tables, to the red-velvet curtains hanging by the window that overlooks Vale itself, a massive drop that allows me to see as far as my eyes can.

For a place that I'll probably be spending most of my time reading documents, righting decrees and managing deals and requests, it could be worse.

It seems that right now is going to be the start of that, because as I step in and Weiss shuts the door behind me, Lord Ozpin and Lady Goodwitch wait for me. They bow upon my entry, and I nod in return.

"Your grace," The man greets. "I trust you had a good night's sleep, because there is work to be done."

"I'd guessed." I mutter, stepping past them to the other side of the desk as Weiss takes up a position beside the door. "So, what is it I'll be going over then? I assume you're going to give me a crash course in it."

"Hm," Goodwitch… makes a sound. No way I'm calling _that_ a chuckle. "Good of you to ask, let us go over it together."

So we do.

Goodwitch does as she says, diving deep into just what it is _she_ is expected to do as a Noble Lady. For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me, but Goodwitch had her own land, her own people to govern and manage. It's a curious thing to think about. Who exactly is running her lands if she's here with me?

I don't get the opportunity to ask all the same, as I'm subjected to the fact that I'll be in charge of dispensing justice and keeping the peace.

"How am I meant to do that?" I groan, an _hour_ into her explanation. Seriously, was this a lesson or was I meant to do some work around here?

"It's not as complicated as it seems your majesty." Weiss interjects before Goodwitch can speak. The blonde glances over to the knightess, and after a moment, gives her a nod to continue. "Lords and ladies would deal with those employed in their ranks yes, but the same can just as easily be done by soldiers, those put in charge by said nobility or even if the situation is lesser enough, by the guilty's peers. The duties you would have as queen would be… of larger scale, but that would mean that you would only need to deal with those you deem most important, and all others would be delegated to people you trust."

"That still doesn't make me feel any better." I sigh. "Doesn't that mean that I'll be judging important people?"

"Powerful people." Ozpin agrees. "Some of the people you interact with will have no doubt committed some… unsavoury acts, and as Queen you will have to decide whether their support, and what you can do with it, is important enough to be lenient with them."

I gaze up at him, and in the corner of my eyes I can see Weiss' narrow. "That sounds like corruption to me."

"Sadly, yes." He sighs. "It's an unfortunate truth, but those in power are vital for the stability of the kingdom, and as such, are those who know they are safe from consequences."

"That's ridiculous." Weiss frowns. "How could a kingdom function on such methods? Surely a ruler should punish misdeeds like that."

"It's the way we have always ruled Miss Schnee." Ozpin dismisses. "Her graces mother was in a similar position in her own life."

"It's not the way it should be done. Punishing the highest powers for their misdeeds will encourage those at the bottom, all the way up to follow the laws put in place."

"Yes I am well aware how lawmakers operate in Atlas. And tell me, what is it they do to those who _do_ commit crimes? Atlas is very liberal with the death penalty isn't it? How are the lowest of thieves punished again? The thief loses both hands, don't they? It must have been difficult adapting to how things are done in The Vale after such an environment."

Weiss' lips thin quickly, and I put a stop to it before it can become something worse.

"Enough." I order. "Just tell me what it is I am here for today. You seem keen on explaining things to me in great detail. Something you didn't do when you were planning whether I would survive my own coronation."

Ozpin accepts the jab for what it is and bows. "Of course you grace. And you are right, this is something we wish to impart importance on. You see, while you may now be Queen, unquestionably, there still remains the fact that the common folk likely are not sure what to make of you. They have their loyalty, but that only gets people who fear for their future so far. As it stands, you need to do something that grants the kingdom stability, prove to common people and nobles alike that you are fit for the tasks ahead. I would ask that you perform a miracle and get it over with but if that is not possible then…"

He trails off, and I roll my eyes. "I understand. I need some way to start off strong. I'm assuming all of this in front of me is what you've come up with?"

"Not quite your grace. Since this is only the beginning we have been unable to 'sort through them' as you will, instead, these are the partitions that have been put through since your coronation."

I gaze down at the desk, and the document stacks upon it.

"Huh… honestly, I expected more."

"Then have no fear," he responds dryly. "There are many more to come as time goes on."

Ah, right. First day on the job and all that.

My eyes roam over the documents. "I'm assuming you have recommendations of your own don't you? Should I go through them first for you to speed this along?"

He chuckles. "I would personally appreciate it, if that is what you so choose."

I offer the same courtesy to Lady Goodwitch, but all I get from her is a grateful smile and a shake of her head, assuring me that at the moment, she has no desire for a royal petition of any kind.

I guess that's good for me at the moment too then. Because it means I can move straight onto the work.

It's… worse than I thought it would be.

There are just… so _many_ requests. That's what this is. Petitions, requests and suggestions, some even in the manner of commands. I see them all, all of the names, of every Lord and Lady that had been on the council, all that had been there on my first day here, each and every one of them desiring something from me. Permission to move troops, loans from the treasury, administrating justice to their vassals, to _my_ apparent vassals. There were even some that have taken the opportunity to try and legitimise their bastards. I wonder if they believe it will slip past me.

It doesn't, it won't, not went even as I sort through them, Cinder does the same. Every so often I ask Ozpin or Goodwitch a question, for tier opinion, or clarification on just what it is this flowery wording is supposed to mean because it _is_ flowery, lots of saying thins while meaning nothing.

Ozpin looks pleased at least. Interestingly enough he'd asked for me to sign a decree going him permissions to send his own troops to refurbish an old fortress to the east. It sounds strange, but, honestly I have no reason to refuse him other than to be petty, not something I can afford if I wish for his help.

Although, I suppose right now it's fine as it is. My head is starting to ache as time goes on and I… suddenly can't remember how long I've been here. Perhaps an hour, maybe two, it can't be much more than that.

I glance down at my desk.

Wait a minute…

Did… did the pile get bigger while I wasn't looking?

' **No more!'** Cinder groans, the phantom sensation rattling my jaw as she does so. **'I beg you. If I read another line saying how** _ **honoured**_ **they are that you would receive their requests I swear I'll find a way to behead them all!'**

I suppress a chuckle. And how exactly could you do that?

' **I have confidence in my ability to influence you. Think how cathartic it would be to see a few head roll.'**

The only thing that rolls are my eyes.

Though perhaps that's not the best idea, because the headache coming on make it worse, makes me dizzy. Seriously how long have I been a this? It's almost a blur.

I glance back, towards the window… is… the sun _falling_?

This time a groan from my on that vertebrates through the room. _By the gods._

Delegation.

Without a doubt, I need to invest time into some proper delegation.

I turn back. You know what? Screw it. I'll do a few more and then I'm leaving this is only for the first few days right? I should be taking a look round the castle I'm supposed to call-

' **Take a look at that would you?'**

"Hm?" I blink, unearthing the document. "What is this?"

Goodwitch glances down at it before fixing her glasses with a sigh. "Ah, that is… a request from Lord Oobleck."

"Oobleck." I repeat. I remember that name from somewhere… where was it again?

' **Your coronation, he spoke to you.'**

Ah, yes, that's right. The one with that peculiar green head of hair. He'd said he was looking forward to working with me. To think he meant so soon.

"What could he have for me I wonder," I say as I open it, flicking through the pages. "And why do you sound so exasperated by it?"

Ozpin chuckles. "Lord Oobleck is… the eccentric sort. He's a good man, from what I've heard he is good to those serving under him servants, peasants and soldiers alike but, well, he's a little bit wild and unorganised to really be taken as a higher Lord. Not to mention his hobbies are… well, like I said, eccentric."

' **Sounds interesting so far.'**

"And?" I prompt. "What are these hobbies exactly?"

"He is a historian I believe, or a least has an interest in it." Goodwitch explains. "He also seems to… get his hands dirty with his hobbies; venturing out on expeditions with only a small number of men to guard him. Irresponsible if I were to say so."

I eyes scan over the paper, and after a moment, I look up, staring at them. "He wants me to go on one of these expeditions with him?"

"He does your grace." Ozpin nods. "He has recently taken an interest in the jungles, those that act as a border between The Vale and Vacuo. He's been preaching about there being a people there."

My eyes narrow in confusion. " _A_ people?"

"…Yes your grace. Lord Oobleck believes that in the jungles there are…" A look flicker over the Lord's face, like a great reluctance to continue, before he sighs deeply. "He has ideas that they are inhabited by creatures known as… The Faunus."

Weiss chokes on air, catching my attention. It- is she laughing?

"What is it?"

"O-oh, it's nothing your majesty." She breathes, getting her breath back, but unable to keep the smile off of her face. "It's just amusing to hear such things. I can see why Lord Ozpin calls him eccentric now."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

Weiss pauses, blinking at me for a moment with those pale blue eyes. "You don't know? Have you never heard of the Faunus?"

"I haven't." I shake my head. "It's something those in cities know I'm guessing then?"

"A story mothers tell their children, yes." Weiss frowns. "Forgive me, I didn't think that it would be unknown to you. I apologise for my ignorance."

"It's nothing." I wave off. "Go on."

"Well," she says, leaning against the wall, a hand falling to the pommel of her sabre. "The Faunus are as I said. A story, on that mothers told their children to make them behave, the 'terrifying monsters' they were called. The beast people that stole away naughty boys and girls in the night and turned them into animals never to be seen again. I remember having the same stories told to me as a child, of strange creatures that haunted the Vale centuries ago. Nothing more than stories though, that much I know for certain." She shakes her head, that amused smile creeping back onto her face. "To think a grown man, a Lord, would believe in such things."

"Sir Schnee speaks truly." Goodwitch nods. "I for one believe it is poor conduct to spend such time of fairy tales such as that, especially when it diverts his attention away from his duties."

I hum. So this Oobleck fellow is obsessed with things no one else believes in is he? Dedicating his time and resources to something he hasn't been able to prove to others.

' **Sounds familiar.'**

Don't be ridiculous. Our situations are far different.

' **Perhaps, but I'm not the one who's put the idea that they may be similar in your head.'**

I sigh. "What benefits are there to Lord Oobleck's support may I ask? What is it that he provided the crown?"

Lady Goodwitch blinks for a moment. "Well, for one, security. The only way that those of Vacuo can travel to The Vale on land is through the jungles, and _his_ lands are right on the edges of that. As it stands; traders, merchants and those of highborn and common alike must travel through his domain first."

"A strong military position if Vacuo ever pronounced war on us to be sure," Ozpin agrees. "Though they never have in the several millennia they have been our neighbours. No, the more useful aspect is the harvests Oobleck offers us, and in turn, economic value."

"He takes this from the jungles." I realise.

"Indeed. Exotic fruits and timber to use and sell to be sure, most of which fetch a high price in other kingdoms, as well as what his farmers grow on the plains. This isn't even concerning the grasp he has on those travelling between the kingdoms. Most will stop in one of his towns or villages, and all must pay a toll for travel, something that helps our tax collection _very_ much… I suppose if you must entertain someone so eccentric, it helps that they have such great uses to the crown." Ozpin nods knowingly.

So he caught my interest huh? I scratch the back of my head. "Yeah… I'm not entirely sure why he wants _me_ to be there, but an invitation like this isn't one I can just ignore now that I've seen it. At the very least it'll be important to show that I'm willing to work with him. He's powerful enough, do you think it will be able to stabilise my position?"

"Not likely on its own, no," Goodwitch acknowledges. "But it _is_ a start."

"Your majesty, if I may," Weiss interjects, and I motion for her to continue. "While I personally believe this would be a…frivolous endeavour on Lord Oobleck's part, it may give you the opportunity to send missives to Vacuo. Opening up communication with the Kingdom of Sands directly would be the right step."

A grin stretches across my face. "Is that an endorsement?"

The snow-haired woman's lips twitch ever so slightly I nearly miss it. "It is not a rejection of the idea. Whatever you chose, I will of course be journeying with you, I just hope I do not have to deal with too much of the Jungles wildlife."

"Well then, I guess I've made my choice. Lord Ozpin, how long would it take to arrive in Lord Oobleck's territory?"

A hum escapes the man as he ponders my question. "It is not certain, with the escort required for you your majesty, I believe it would be a fortnight's ride."

Hmm… longer than I had thought but honestly not by much. I would be a time investment though, a big one, and for something that is basically playing nice with a noble on the outskirt of the Vale… was it worth it?

I don't know, but there's… something about it. Something's telling me this will be worth the trouble.

' **Our other options are to perform doomed endeavours. If it truly is as Rose thinks, then gaining as much power as possible in a short munt of time is our best option. If we can do a Weiss suggests and form an alliance with Vacuo then it will be worth entertaining the Lord's fantasies.'**

Then I best get started, shouldn't I?

"Very well," I nod for the people around me. "Make preparations at once. If nothing else, the faster we go, the more time we will have for other things once this I over. I'm assuming you can have soldiers and horses prepared for me?"

"In the hour your grace."

Ah, well, that sounds good, but it's already late. Leaving as night falls may be an issue. "Then do so before daybreak tomorrow." I frown for a moment, as the memory of my journey here passes through my mind. Thanks Cinder. "And make sure it is at least fifty competent men. I have no interest in being ambushed on the road again."

"Of course. Is there anything else?"

That I can think of t the moment? No. Wait, yes there I one thing.

I step away from the desk, circling around it to the door and yank it open as fast as I can.

A particular blonde crashes at my feet with a yelp. "Make sure there's a horse for her too."

Yang groans.

"Were you listening in on us?" Weiss glares down at my sister, only to receive a lopsided grin in response.

"Yep! I gotta know what my little sis is planning, else I might get left out. The jungles then? Sounds exciting."

I roll my eyes. "You were coming with me either way, you don't need to eavesdrop."

"Eh, it's more fun that way. Besides, most of what I was listening to was pretty boring, I'd like to _not_ be invited to these things if I can help it."

Goodwitch lets out a long breath, one I'm not entirely sure does anything to calm her. She certainly doesn't look happy with my sister's intrusion. Yang seems to now it if her teasing smile is anything to go by. What can they do? She's the sister of the Queen, and I'm sure as hell not going to throw her under the wagon.

"Get up Yang," I order. "And go get yourself ready. We're leaving at dawn."

"If you say so." She salutes, getting her feet. "You know, we've never been to the jungle. This could fun if you think about it."

I doubt it, but if anyone can find something to do in the most boring of conditions it's Yang.

"I will send a raven to Lord Oobleck." Ozpin promises as I leave, Weiss following behind. "it will d him well to know that you are coming so that he can provide the proper hospitality."

Well… that sounds good. If nothing else, exploring the jungles with the man could be somewhat interesting, and hey, I doubt _anythin_ g could happen.

' **Did you** _ **just?'**_

* * *

…

…

* * *

 _Dreams…_

 _I don't dream. Now more than ever, I truly believe that what I grew up with, watching my mother die, were not those of a dream, but of the past._

 _I can't understand, how, it doesn't make sense in the same way I somehow have visions of a future ever-changing, of me forever dying._

 _And yet, somehow, they're connected._

 _I suppose… they take the place of my dreams, or, they should, but I think I've realised that they're different, they hold a different place in my mind._

 _This ability, blessing or curse, is something I don't fully understand yet, it's changing within m, fir with the visions of the past, future, and then with Cinder, whatever she is._

 _And this, is different again._

 _I see no red sky, no dead lands, no, I see a black void, and in the distance of a place where there should be no distance, I see red eyes._

 _The Grimm._

 _They… they're far away, so far away it may be leagues, mils or continents away but I can see their eyes, not with my own, no, it's a… sensation, a sight I don't possess._

 _Is this some kind of sign? A warning? A… a timer?_

 _The Grimm are far away. Does that mean I have time?_

… _I… don't know. There's just… too much for me to understand._

 _But, there is something._

 _Something different._

 _Like… an intruder, something that with all_ _ **this**_ _shouldn't be here._

 _I can see it, close, I blink with the eyes I don't have, and I can see it now, so much clearer, so much closer._

 _A pair of eyes, staring back at me. They aren't my own, they aren't Rose's nor the molten flames that I connect to Cinder._

 _These are… gold._

 _Like the finest riches._

 _Like coins perhaps._

 _Animal-like, slit, like a beasts._

 _And they are staring right back at me._

 _Why… why do they pull at me?_

 _Why does it feel like they are… Tied to me, or to a future me._

 _A present?_

 _I can't- I-_

▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅ _!_ _!_

 _W-what?_

▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅ _!_

 _S_o_m_e_t_h_i_n_g_'s_C_o_m_i_n_ g_

 _It rattles my brain, like a rip in reality it feels like something reaching in and tearing at the edges of my mind_

 _Footsteps._

 _I can hear something, someone running towards me._

▂▂▃▃!

 _My head snaps to the side, my other side._

 _Another source of sound._

 _Another incompressible thunder._

 _Both sides._

 _Both sides_

 _It's coming from both sides._

 _I can't see them._

 _I can't see them._

 _The golden eyes move as two new pairs, blood red crash in on either side of me. Red like Grimm. Bright and alive like a humans._

 _Demonic._

 _Corrupted._

 _Evil._

 _They're right next to me, reaching out to grasp me in their hands of shadow-_

 _Something grasps ahold of me before they can, and I gasp as my silver meets those gold orbs again, all-consuming before me._

▂▂▃▃▄▄▄▄▂▂▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅▅▂▂▃▂▂▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅▅▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ _ **!**_

 _ **And then everything comes crashing-**_

 _ **Up.**_

* * *

…

…

* * *

That… nightmare, clings to me for days.

I can't shake it, no matter what I do.

It clings to my mind, even as life goes on, and we depart the capital for the south, the fact that this feeling, this dream has shaken me to my core, it feels as if everything has just passed me by.

As Ozpin had been instructed, he'd gathered a group of men, sixty, to escort me to Lord Oobleck's lands. On his word, they were strong, and I would put my faith in his words, even if the fact that the heraldry they bear is that of gears, and not the wreath and axes of The Vale put me on edge.

I don't even know why.

They _are_ armoured though. Not just Gambesons or leather, but chainmail and steel, proper soldiers, proper fighters.

If nothing else, I can feel confident in the Lord's commitment to acting trustworthy.

And that's another thing.

Why do I keep coming back to that?

Apart from being slightly, I don't know, condescending, a little bit secretive, I've no real reason to place mistrust in Ozpin.

I even have Rose's own words that he is an ally

And yet, I can't shake the feeling that he's not to be trusted entirely.

I don't know. I'm not really sure what I _do_ know, other than that things are far more complicated than they seem.

It feels like things are coming far too fast to manage.

' **Stop thinking like that. It does us no good to wallow in self-pity.'**

Pity?

This isn't pity. You saw it too. Whatever _it_ was. Something that shouldn't have happened. It didn't make any sense. Just when I'd started getting used to visions of myself I get something so warped and different I'm not even sure it was real.

' **Real?'**

I swallow.

You know it was. That… whatever it was, it was too _there_ to just be something I dismiss.

'… **I know.'** Cinder murmurs, and I can feel how… off she is, it disturbs her. **'I don't understand what it was, other than… some kind of message.'**

Which doesn't make any sense.

' **Doesn't it?'**

I stop, realizing the implication Cinder's put forth.

You think something else is going on, don't you, even more than just the Grimm.

' **No matter how you look at it, seeing into the future doesn't correlate to a threat such as the Grimm in any logical way, neither might I add, does my existence, an existence that the Rose's don't seem to know about.'**

 _Can't_ know about.

I correct her. Something was manipulating her mind. A curse of some kind.

' **Are we sure? As far as I could tell, it was something more than what we can understand. How could a major facet of your mind, your memories, be** _ **blocked**_ **like that?'**

You think there's something else going on?

' **We** _ **both**_ **think that there's something missing. A piece of a puzzle we do not possess yet.'**

That's an understatement I've ever heard one.

' **We all ponder our existences,'** Cinder hums, her voice… sultry. ' **Though it seems mine is of particular importance.'**

I raise an eyebrow.

Someone sounds full of herself.

' **Why not? You could do with more poise. You are Queen, and in turn, so am I. a queen** _ **should**_ **see themselves above others. It is the best way to rule.'**

A frown crosses my features and I shake my head. No. I don't agree with that.

' **Yes. You do.'**

…Ah.

I'm… not sure how I can respond to that. She's… she's right, isn't she?

I want to ask, but I feel Cinder's being sink away and I notice a mane of blonde hair lean over from her horse to my left.

"You okay there, Rubes? You've got a look on your face."

"O-oh!" I blink, returning to reality, to the world around me, the open road, to the soldiers around me, the bright sky. Right, still on the road. "Sorry," I say. "I was just… thinking on things."

"Anything interesting?"

Nothing I could explain.

"Not really," I lie instead. "Just… I don't know, what do you think the deal with the other Kingdoms is going to be? I mean, Weiss, how do you think the other Kingdoms are going to react to me appearing all of a sudden?"

The knightess hums lightly, slowing the trot of her steed ever so slightly to fall into pace on my right.

"It is… difficult to say your grace. My knowledge mostly just extends to that of Atlas and The Vale. I know very little about the Kingdom of Sands and its people other than they are… reclusive and untrusting of outsiders. How that will affect your debates with them I cannot be sure. Mistral on the other hand," she scoffs. "Apologise if this sounds pessimistic your grace, but I highly doubt you will have any progress with Mistral's 'God King' any time soon."

"Wait, say what now?" Yang draws back. "Did you seriously say god-king? That's a joke, right?"

The derision on Weiss' face was enough proof that she wasn't, but all the same my protector went on to explain. "Unfortunately not. For generations now Mistral has governed on the nonsense that their kings are descendants of some kings or the other, with divine knowledge and wisdom to rule." She shakes her head. "At home, we would have the luxury of scorning them from afar, but they really _are_ insane there. It's their belief that only the god-king has the right to rule, and that all others are pretenders at best, blasphemers at worse. I suspect they will view you as a mixture of both your majesty."

"Oh great." I drawl. "So nice to learn about all the people who hate me, and that I'm going to have to deal with them eventually."

"If they even let you." Weiss says. "From what I know, Mistral doesn't allow its citizens to leave the kingdom, nor does it legally allow foreigners to enter. Only military units and envoys."

"So they keep people thinking one way without seeing the rest of the world." Yang realises with a grimace. The implications aren't good. "And this has been allowed to happen why?"

"Mistral has the largest Military force. From what I've heard it's a massive contingent, easily one hundred thousand strong. They likely use it to suppress dissent and deal with the northern raiders that constantly bombard their shores." Weiss smiled wirily. "Which is good for us, because I'm sure they'd have plenty of ideas for declaring war otherwise."

Not exactly what I want to hear, like, at all. I'd heard rumours that Mistral had… fanatics, but this is far worse than I'd imagined if true. If it's truly the case, then an alliance with another kingdom is definitely essential to keep The Vale safe.

Though… Rose never suggested it was a possibility that they would attack. Did that mean we were safe from them?

…No… something tells me that's not the case. Rose is without a doubt useful, one of my major lifelines… and yet, somethings messing with them. With me. How much can I rely on them to see future threats?

I'm not sure.

Well, at least I'd learned something else about my visions over the past week.

They repeat.

I don't really know how else to describe it but, it feels as if… if I don't change _enough_ of the future with my actions, the future I see is the same, Rose's words are the same, her reactions, and her death.

So I need to make a significant decision to continue forth?

' **If that is even the case… we do not know how these visions work, and I do not believe there are any who** _ **could**_ **teach us.'**

I sigh.

Yeah, that's true. Honestly, I'd appreciate it if I had at least a few days to just relax and try to figure out how this all works. Maybe I'll be lucky and some old crone will appear from the mountains and tell me everything I need to know.

Wouldn't that be convenient?

Unfortunately I don't think I'll be so lucky.

Another sigh leaves me.

"Are you alright your majesty?"

"E-eh?" I blink, looking around to see Weiss gazing back in concern. Oh, yeah, right, I can talk inwardly, but they can hear my groans just as clear. "It's nothing Weiss." I assure her. "Again, I'm just lost in thought. What about Atlas? Do you think they'll be alright with my rise to power? Do you think I'll be able to form an alliance of some kind if I need to?"

"Oh! Of course Your grace." Weiss bobs her head confidently. "Atlas holds honour and duty in high regard. Once they see you display those qualities I have no doubt they will be happy to accept a pact of deal you put forth."

"Pretty confident they'll love her, aren't ya Snow Angel?" My sister smirks, a look I can't quite place adorning her features.

"Of course," Weiss response, holding her head high. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh don't worry, that's not what I'm saying. I just think it's adorable that we look all proud about home, like a kid showing off a toy to their friends."

"Y-you-!" Weiss stutters as her cheeks flush red. "It's called patriotism you brute!"

Yang pauses, as do I, turning to my bodyguard. Thankfully, Yang is the one to say it before I can.

"What's that?"

"You… what?"

"What's that word mean?" Yang repeats. "Patriotism. That means something important?" Weiss just stares at her, then at me when she notices I have the same question. "Are… are you tow truly asking that?"

I cough. "Is it… uh, something we should know about?"

"I would hope so!" she squawks acidity. "You're the _Queen_! Patriotism is practically vital for your rule! How could you not know what it means?!"

"Okay, no seriously Snow angel come on. Whatever that word means it's not a Tribe thing. Cut us some slack yeah?"

"I-" Weiss cuts herself off with a hiss taking a breath as her hand raises to manage her forehead. The silence draws on for a good few seconds "Yes, of course. Forgive me, I was just caught off guard there for a moment. I do not think less of either of you, but I admit it still escapes me sometimes that neither of you have any sort of… formal education." She glances up. "Yang less so, it's easy to see her as a savage-"

"Hah!"

"-but even so it's an oversight I should not keep having."

I shake my head. "It's fine Weiss don't worry about it. Believe me, I know it must be a big thing to have two girls who've never set foot inside a city until last week suddenly be at the head of the Kingdom."

Weiss shots me a blank look. "Well when you put it like that it sounds positively ridiculous."

"Yeah!" Yang laughs, and the knightess lets out an indignant cry as both of us realise Yang has somehow made her way around us and thrown her arms around Weiss' shoulder while still atop her horse. "And you're stuck along for the ride. Seriously though, what does patriotism mean?"

"Well," she began. "It means-"

"Your grace!" a masculine voice cut through us, and I turn to see one of our escorts rising towards us. He doesn't look worried, but al the same his pace is quick.

"What is it?" I ask when he gets close. "Is there trouble."

"No your grace," he says, bowing his head. "There are banners, approaching at a steady pace. A lords Banner, a flame within a furnace."

"Oobleck's," I nod. "Looks like they're coming to greet us. Guess they'll escort us back to him."

I pause as the soldier shakes his head. "No your grace. Lord Oobleck was spotted within the ranks of the escort."

"He's come to meet us directly." Weiss muses. "We had best be on our best behaviour."

"Why are ya looking at me Snow Angel?"

Not five minute later, they're close enough that I can properly make them out, and just as the man… My man, had said, I can see Lord Oobleck's head of wild green hair, right at the front of the group.

I urge my mount forward, as Weiss and Yang follow behind, we come to a stop just in front of our own escort.

And I'm suddenly bombarded by the man.

"Your majesty! So wonderful to see you. When I received your message that you had accepted my invitation I didn't believe it at first but it is a relief to know that you have taken an interest in the pursuit of knowledge and exploration just as I have now I know that this may be quite sudden but I have already had the preparations for our expedition prepared so if you would allow my men to escort yours to places where they can reside while we go off then this will be quite efficient."

Had… had than been a sentence?

By the gods. Had the man taken a breath throughout any of that? Why did it feel like _I_ was the one with a problem breathing? Right, no formalities with him then, not what I expected, not at all. Is it a relief? I'm not really sure yet, but I guess that means we can get down to business.

Maybe I should have expected that though, he's dressed far differently than I would have thought. No lavish robes, no expensive and prissy looking dress shirts with all the practicality of a wooden fireguard.

No. Lord Oobleck in dressed in white and brown riding britches, a leather jacket over a white padded shirt and hiking boots. His hands are gloved too, and he has some sort of hunting knife strapped to his side. This man is actually serious about this isn't he?

' **It looks to me like he knows what he is doing, or at least has some experience. Interesting. By the way, you should probably be speaking right now.'**

R-right.

"Lord Oobleck," I announce, hoping my voice doesn't sound as thrown off as I feel. I mean my brain has only now caught up with what he'd been saying. "I'm grateful that you've decided to come and mean us in the open, as you say, it will be far faster this way to conduct our… business. You say you have a place for you escorts to stay?"

"Indeed, indeed," he waves a hand, motioning to a man at his side. "Lead her majesties troops to a comfortable abode my lad, go on, chop, chop!"

"Yes my lord." His man nods, looking none bothered by the man's pace of speech. Oh gods, he talks like this regularly?

I nod to my own escorts, letting them know it's fine to listen to Lord Oobleck's orders. At the same time, the green haired man spins his horse around, motion for me to follow, I do so, as Weiss and my sister do the same, keeping pace beside me.

Lord Oobleck seems fine with it, and as we make our way down the road, we start deviating away from the larger group until there are only four of us.

Despite what should be a slightly more peaceful moment due to the fewer numbers, it is anything but.

"I am truly appreciative of your arrive. When I sent the missive I was warned that you would have much else to do and that it was likely I would not have my request accepted."

"Yes well," I say, gazing out onto the road and _really_ hoping Oobleck can calm down a little. I really don't want a headache. "I remembered you from before, you said you were looking forward to working with me… thought I would get started on that."

"Quite. Truly we have much work to do. It should not take us too long to make it to the outskirts of the jungles with plenty of time to spare for the day. From there we can begin our search."

"A search is it?" Weiss hums, and I can practically _feel_ the mirth in her voice. "And just what is it we are searching for my Lord?"

"Number of things Sir Schnee!" Oobleck answers quickly, either ignoring the sarcastic tone Weiss is using or missing it entirely. "The wildlife of the Jungles separating The Vale and Vacuo are quite marvellous, fascinating like you would not believe, and the fauna is unlike anywhere else in the Kingdom."

"Fauna?" Yang prods. "I that hat you were talking about in your letter?"

I blink. Oh, that would make so much more sense wouldn't it? A simple spelling error making his request seem far more outlandish than it really was. I could deal with plant life. A bit boring sure but far more reassuring that Lord Oobleck believing in wild animal people of all things."

Yeah, that sounds-

"Oh no my Lady. I was referring to the indigenous people residing within the deepest depths of the tropical forest."

 _Ack!_

"Really?" Yang buzzes, leaning forward on her horse as I try to suppress my choking. "You know, I'd never heard of these uh, Faunus right? Yeah those, until like, two weeks ago when we started our trip here. What are they?"

"Ah!" The Lord perks up excitedly. "Well that is a question isn't it? Well my dear the simple answer is, I don't know!"

Yang nearly falls out of her saddle. "W-what?"

"I have never met a Faunus individual unfortunately." Oobleck says with a sad shake of his head. "They are reclusive from what I have gathered. They do not meet with humans, as far as I have been able to gather they remain in their jungle as they have for centuries, only leaving for specific circumstances."

"Then," Weiss fumbles, looking for a way to convey her disbelief, the same I feel myself. "Then how do you even know they exist? If you've never seen them then surely they're just some fairy tale!"

"I believe, because I have seen proof."

"In old and rotting books!"

"In the lands."

"I…" Weiss breaks. "What?"

Oobleck turns to us from his horse, gazing directly at me. "Recently there have been attacks on my lands. Raids of villages under my protection, in the dead of night where none of my men can reach in time. Peasants claim to have seen bright eyes in the dark, snarls of animals, while priests claim demons steal into monasteries…"

My eyes narrow. "You're saying that these… Faunus, have suddenly become aggressive."  
"I am your grace. For unknown reasons, small bands of them seem to raid, before retreating back to their home."

"And how is proof of attacks proof of anything?" Weiss presses. "Bandits seems more likely by a far margin." She turns to me. "Your majesty, surely you see how… outlandish this is."

It did.

' **But compared to our own situation…'**

Yeah, not so much.

"How did you come to believe this?" I ask the Lord. "That these Faunus truly existed? What made you pour your time into it, things you have never seen, rather than dismissing the claims of superstitious villagers?"

And I see it.

Oobleck smiles.

"I will show you."

* * *

...

...

* * *

 **You all know what's coming.**

 **You don't know how yet but oh boy I bet you know what.**

 **Ruby's got some work cut out for her, and thankfully she was able to avoid most of the paperwork by flunking out with our resident Green haired historian.**

 **Paperwork. The scourge of humanity.**

 **Honestly, this chapter took longer than I wanted to come out, but it's coming around to… let's call it crunch time. Assignments and exams all round right now, and I've unfortunate had to spend more time on them than this and other things. Still, you'll have plenty to look forward to in the next few chapters.**

 **Well, until then I can only hope this ties you over.**

 **Until then!**


	12. Act 1: Part 11

...

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _The horrors committed during the Century of Red are the kind spoken as warnings of sin. The warring, the death and the butchering of thousands trumps any other such events recorded in over millennia. If it wasn't the Bloody Rose, literally flooding a city's streets with blood before razing it completely, then it's his sister, the Twisted Thorn, skinning her brother, the Cold Rose's forces and hanging them on the castle walls as a warning. Or perhaps we could even look to their children, how they slaughtered noblemen and women for so much as breathing the idea of conspiracy._

 _Many of them had no such intentions._

 _Oh? No, I don't mean this as an ill warning. These actions are proof, perhaps a bloodline trait, that the Rose lineage will commit any action to be victorious. I believe we need this. We need that brutality, that power and viciousness to raise The Vale above the other kingdoms where it belongs._

 _This new queen, she is young, but her ascension was a violent one. It gives me hope, that she will do what is necessary for us all._

 _Don't you agree Lord Torchwick?_

 _\- A servant overhears a hushed conversation in the depths of Beacon, discussing the new queen during her expedition to Lord Ooblecks lands._

…

If nothing else were to come out of this journey, I could at least admit that the experiences of this moment, right now here in the jungle, is one I'll take pleasure in.

The sights, the sounds, the smells.

They're all so… _much._

It's almost overwhelming.

I'm no stranger to the wilderness, nor the wilds. I've been on the road all my life, sleeping in the rough, with the grass beneath me, and the open sky above me.

But this is just so much more. I'd have said before this that green is green. It's a colour like any other, there was nothing all that special about it. But here, there is so much _green_. It's lustrous, bountiful and bright, almost blindingly so. It's an entirely new spectrum of colour all on its own, and the more I see, the fascinating and wondrous colours of the plant life, flowers, fruits and everything else I couldn't see. That wasn't even mentioning the life within the jungle.

The birds soaring, ducking, weaving and diving through the trees, while foreign creatures cackle in the far off distance.

It's amazing.

Forcing my way through the foliage, I couldn't keep the wide grin off my face, and beside me, Yang's much the same. Every so often, she winces as something brushes past her hair, but for the most part, she's loving the journey just as much as I am.

She like the heat, I can tell. The humid environment that we've never felt before.

This is what she'd wanted isn't it?

She'd wanted to travel, to see the world and explore places she'd never seen before.

Suddenly, Yang turns to me, maybe sensing my gaze, and her toothy grin gets wider. "This is something, ain't it Rubes?"

"Yeah," I laugh, hopping over a log protruding from the ground. "This is great. You feel this heat though? If we stayed here for a few weeks we could get an awesome tan."

"Ha! Wouldn't that be something? Bet ya I'd look hot with some bronze."

"No bet." I respond. "Besides, you're already hot enough, I don't need you to overshadow me more than you do."

Yang doesn't quite respond as she does yelp, stumbling as her foot catches something beneath her, and laughing clumsily as she rights herself. I blink.

"You okay there sis?"

"Y-yeah!" she nods quickly. "Was just distracted there for a second. N-no worries, heh heh."

"You're sure? The heat might be getting to you, your cheeks are red."

"I-"

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?!" A green blur asks, practically rushing through the foliage like he was born for it. He has more practice I reckon, to make it look that easy.

"Yes Lord Oobleck." I answer politely. "So far it has been a pleasant experience."

"Oh please," He waves off. "Let's drop the pointless formalities. I feel as if they waste too much time when we could be moving forward. Call me Bartholomew, or if you cannot the at least forgo the Lord part and call me Oobleck."

"Oh." I blink, before an honest smile stretch across my face. "Then you can call me Ruby if you like. Actually, I think I'd like it better if you did; 'Queen' and 'your majesty' is still weird to me."

"You can call me Yang!" My sister adds, leaning in to use my shoulder as leverage as she hops over something beneath her. "I like the 'my lady' stuff people call me around Beacon, but since you got us out here I think you're pretty cool."

"Splendid!" The green haired lord smiled. "That makes things easier. Now come on then, we are almost upon the first marker."

"Marker?" I echo, but he's already speeding on before he registers the question. That's fine though. I'm not really in any rush to have all of this explained to me. For now, I think it's nice for everything to be a surprise. Knowing the future so far hasn't given me any cause to feel happy.

All in all, I'm loving this. Yang's loving this, Oobleck's loving this.

Now if only…

"Are you doing okay back there Weiss?"

I get the response I'd expected, that being in the form of a yelp and Weiss stumbles through the undergrowth clumsily. She nearly face-plants right into a tree, and only manages to save herself but yanking her body to the right…

Which doesn't help much because it means her heels get stuck in the mud. She loses balance, and falls like a tree.

Yang catches her in one arm before she can get acquainted with the mud.

"You having trouble there Snow Angel?"

"Don't even start." Weiss grumbles, getting her feet under her again, but upon feeling the earth shift underneath her heels again, clutches onto Yang's bicep. My sister chuckles in mirth.

"Seriously though, maybe you should have thought about wearing heels off all things into a Jungle."

"They're a part of my armour." My white-haired bodyguard protests. "I can't just discard them like you can pair of boots!"

"Hey! I respect my boots!" Yang argues, nudging her a little and watching her wobble. "That just bring up the question of why you wear them in the first place. I mean, heels don't sound all too practical in fight to me."

"It's standard practice," Weiss explains as Yang leads her gently over the mud, careful not to let her fall. If my sister is bothered about how Weiss' gauntlets dig into her flesh, she doesn't give it away. "All noble women in Atlas must practice how to walk elegantly in heels. We must be graceful, sophisticated and confident in them. That same practice carries over to those same women who train to be Knights."

"Sounds like a pain."

"Ugh," Weiss groans. "Of course you would say that, why am I not surprised? No, I know why; you bloody barbarian."

"Ha! You know it." Yang's grin softens. "So that sort of thing is normal back at home for you?"

"It is," She says. "Atlas in freezing as I have told you before. Grace and elegance in literally required to traverse ice, especially in combat. Foreign force have no such practice in cold climates. It gives us a major advantage."

"Yeah, at home. Doesn't seem to be doing much for me here though."

Weiss scowls, but knowing Yang's right, nods slowly. "Unfortunately, you are right… I'm afraid I am… not used to such a terrain." She grimaces. "Nor it's climate."

"Too hot for ya?"

"Too clammy." She grumbles, rolling her shoulders. "It feels like I've been dipped in a lake and left soggy."

"You could always take the armour off."

"And leave the two of you without my full capabilities? Without my armour, my ability to protect the two of you is impaired."

"Isn't it already?"

"I-"

"Besides," Yang cuts her off. "What do you think is going to attack us out here? The Faunus?"

"Yang," I sigh. "Don't make fun of Oobleck when he can't hear you."

"I'd have thought doing it when he _can_ hear me would be worse."

"You know what I meant."

My sister shrugs. "I'm just sayin', doesn't feel like you have much to worry about here Weiss."

"There is still dangerous wildlife around here."

"And if they show up, I can handle them myself."

"…Fine." Weiss sighs. "The next time we come to a stop I will… take off my armour, while we rest at least. I can't exactly _leave_ it here."

"That's the spirit!" Yang cheers. "Let's see some skin!"

"Not on your life!"

I giggle a little as the two of them throw banter back and forth. It's good that they're in high spirits right now. It does well to balance out my own misery.

Well, not misery, that's not fair. I feel anything but.

It's just…

' **You feel like you** _ **should**_ **be feeling despondent. That you shouldn't be enjoying yourself with the duty we have on hand.'**

You disagree?

' **I do'** she tells me, and I blink in surprise. **'We should not subject ourselves to thoughts of failure, nor should we feel sorry for ourselves. The future is the future. We will deal with it as a secondary objective. Enjoy the present first.'**

A bitterness swell up in my chest.

You don't sound like care much about what the future.

' **Do not be ridiculous. I care for it as much as you do. But it seems I have the perspective that you don't.'**

And that is?

' **That there is no point in saving a future if it is not worth us living in.'**

That… halts me. I… what Cinder is saying is-

"We are here!" Oobleck' voice cuts through my thoughts, and I yelp as he rushes my way, coming to a dangerous stop before he can crash into me.

"Come. Come, come, we are here!"

"What is it Green?" My sister asks, coming to a stop beside me with Weiss on her arm.

The nickname doesn't even seem to register to the Lord and he spins on a Lien and points past the trees, where they break into a clearing. "Take a look for yourselves my dear."

We do, and-

"No way." Yang whispers.

I understand the sentiment.

Before us in an open space that must be miles wide in every direction, there's a sheer dip in the earth, down a few dozen feet and stretches out almost as far as I can see.

And in this huge pit.

Is a city of stone.

"What is this?" Weiss murmurs in awe, stepping forward to get a clear look at… everything.

I take in as much as I can, and inside my head, Cinder writhes in excitement.

I can't see the other side of this pit, but I know that the jungles continues on at the other end, sounding it, surrounding us, on all sides. Vines have infested the stone, crawling along it like ancient string. These are old. Hundred, perhaps thousands of years old. Each building looks slightly different, like there was no real planning put into their construction, but all the same they're built with this strange, light coloureds stone. Some of it's blocky, others are smooth and circular, and in the centre, perhaps a mile away and yet still so… huge, dug deeper into the earth, is a spire, twisting upwards to peek even above the trees.

"What is this place?" A voice whispers, and after a second I realise it's me.

"This is the marker." Oobleck says, standing beside me. I found it years ago, my first clue. It is what has encouraged me to delve deeper into the mysteries around me. Fascinating isn't it?"

"Fascinating?" I parrot, staring at him incredulously. "This is insane? How have I not heard about this before? Why didn't Ozpin tell me about this?"

"Through my own doing your majesty," Oobleck hums. "I have kept it a secret as best I can from the populace, fortunate it is that the Jungles are considered a part of my land, and, I suppose in tangent, yours."

"But-" I fumble, trying to gather my words as I stare out and the _massive_ constructions before me. "Why hide it? You- you must know how the other Lords see you. If you should them this then they couldn't deny what you say as nonsense any longer."

"I am aware… and then, they would likely send their own men and desecrate this place. Something I will not allow.

"I… that might be true." I acknowledge. "But, then, what is the place? Surely you know something about it if you've known about it for years?"

"Not much I'm afraid." Oobleck says. "There is much I have seen, and yet it is impossible to transcribe all of it, especially since it is in a language long dead to me, or… perhaps just unknown. What I have found, is that the Faunus seem to revert this land as a place of worship."

Weiss, who'd been left captivated by the sight before her, suddenly whips around to face us. "What did you say?! I thought you said you have never seen the Faunus!"

"I have not, but I have seen evidence, fresh evidence, that inhabitants of the Jungle visit this place constantly. Markings on the walls in the form of claws, footprints, and in some cases, even offerings."

I bit my lips as I realise the implications. "Intelligent creatures."

"Precisely!" He nods rapidly. "In the days I have brought equipment to traverse this old city, I stumble open newly made proof that furthers my drive. It is because of these I know they exist, and, even sometimes, I see the greater marks that something else is afoot."

My eyes turn back to the city.

There's… there's something happening. Something wrong. "What do you mean?"

"You see the spire. It has a name, one I cannot decipher but it is a thing of importance. There, there is a door, locked and sealed some thousands of years ago, but I saw something there. Something nearly twenty years ago, before the coup."

I turn to him sharply. "What did you see?"

"An idol." He murmurs. "A statue of gold, lain at the door as if in some sort of ritual. It was human in form, and yet, it wasn't. It shared traits with those of an animal."

I shift warily. "And… you think this is what the Faunus look like?"

"I am almost certain of it. I am not sure on the significance of the offering, but when I returned a week later, it had vanished. An offering mind you, that was as tall as you, perhaps more."

"… I see."

A beat passes between us as I just… take it in, before it passes, and I notice Yang stir.

"What is it?"

My sister bites her lip as we all glance over to her and I blink as she raised a hand, embers sparking from her palm. "Magic. This place was built with magic."

That's all it takes for Oobleck to nearly _tackle_ her.

"How do you know this?! Are you sure?!"

In any other situation, she might have pulled back, but here, her eyes are locked on the land below. "I can feel it, it's buzzing at the back of my skull. Whoever –whatever - built this place, didn't do it manually."

"Of course." He hisses out excitedly. "How could I forget? Mages can feel it can't they, in the air?"

"Yeah." Yang turns to Weiss. "You remember how I explained it to you?"

Weiss works her jaw slowly. "That magic is in everything from the water to the air… that's what you said right?"

"Everything that couldn't as living, or giving life, yeah…. Stones don't give life. Dirt might, but stone is just… stone." She gazed over the drop. "These stones are alive."

The Knightess swallows. "You mean… like a creature?"

"… No. Not like that… I don't really have a way to explain it to you… not in a way that would make sense to you entirely but… it's like they left a… print. I can tell what it was that didn't this, only that they were old. Really old." And then, her eyes are on me. "Whatever built this… they're the same sort of… _thing_ that built the Kiln."

And the breath in my lungs turn to ice. "How is that even possible?"

It should be. The Beacon was created at the very beginning of The Vale's creation. No, before that, when all four kingdoms were one. Thousands of years ago, with a magic that somehow awoke Cinder.

If this city was the same as that then-

"Oobleck." I bark, uncaring about how aggressive I sound. "We're going down there. Do you know a way?"

All at once he straightens up. "I do, not far from here I had a path excavated. Come."

I nod, making to move when Weiss' hand suddenly clasps my shoulder.

"You can't be serious your grace."

All of a sudden, a heat swells up in my chest. "Why not?" I ask, sharper than I'd intended, and enough that the knights actually flinches back in surprise.

"I- It's not safe." She explains. "Down there. We don't know if there's something inherently wrong with that place."

"You mean like magic? How _you_ see magic?" I snap. "Don't think I haven't noticed your wariness around the subject of the Beacon. A magical ritual deciding monarch, exactly what you said it would not be, and here you are again, seeing an enemy in the shadows where there is none."

What am I saying what am I saying what am I saying?!

' **Ruby you need to stop. What's wrong with you?'**

I don't know! It's like my lips are moving on their own!

"We're going down there." I growl. "You can either stand up here because of your gripes or do the duty you were sworn to and come down with us."

By the gods what am I saying? This is- this is like that time before my coronation, all over again. That sickly bitter feeling feels like it's clogging up my bloodstream. There's something not right here. Weiss is right. But she doesn't understand _how_ right she is. Whatever this is. It's the same thing that awoke something unnatural to me, and it's _calling_ , like a whispers of a killer.

The realisation of what this is rocks me to me core.

It's the same sensation I feel when I lay my eyes on the Grimm.

I need to find out what's going on.

"Yang," I say, just as hard as I had been with Weiss. "Are you coming?"

Something on her face shifts, uncertain. Yes. She's not happy with how I'd spoke to Weiss. I understand that but this is- it's too much.

I'm begging her, though my gaze to see that there's something wrong. Something that almost hurts.

Yang is my sister.

So of course, she understands, and her eyes soften. "Yeah," she nods, setting a hand on Weiss' shoulder, who turn to look at her in confusion. "Just gimme a minute, we'll catch up."

I understand. She's going to talk to Weiss, fix my slip-up before it can strain.

I nod thankfully, and turn to follow Oobleck, who's already moved on, clearly so focused on the idea of going down there that he's missed the entire exchange around him.

Further along the edge, I follow him to a length of zigzagging wooden stands. Scaffolding then, that he'd built to traverse it. He doesn't even wait to usher me down, but right now I appreciate it…

Weiss' wounded face is stuck in my head.

' **As civil as I can be, you fucked that up. Royally.'**

I know. It don't know what came over me.

' **This is the second time now, where you've suddenly acted with far more aggression than you should reasonably have.'**

A flash of anger spikes, running like a current down my spine.

That's your fault isn't it? I have two people's worth of anger for just myself.

' **I… Yes. I was irritated at her casual insistence that magic is some evil thing, but even so, it should not have been enough on its own, nor should we have gotten as angry as we did. This… I understand the feeling you have. This similarity to the Grimm is eerie, and something affected yang. We already have a connection to the Grimm in respects to visions… perhaps it is affecting us more than we think.'**

How would we know?

' **..I suggest we continue to get closer until we can understand what is happening.'**

I grimace.

I was afraid you'd say that.

' **Watch where you're going by the way.'**

The warning comes casually, and it's enough that I correct my footing as I make my way down the wooden scaffolding. Oobleck climbs his way down easily, but I'm not as confident yet in its design. Even so, it does the job, and I stride down the last few steps easily enough.

And then my feet touch the stone ground.

My whole body _vibrates._

It's like something low and powerful was humming through my bones. Something I couldn't recognise.

A moment passes as the feeling draws something out of me.

And then the thrum of energy is gone.

I let out a heavy breath.

There is _something_ about this place.

"Are you alright?"

I blink, looking to Oobleck peering over me.

"Oh, yes, I… I'm fine, just thinking. Tell me, what is it we'll be looking at first?"

"We will be making our way to the spire," He says, straightening up. "I'd encourage you to take a look at the architecture while you walk, and keep an eye out for anything that looks like it has newly appeared. I will be right beside you doing the same."

"Good." I nod. "Let's get going then."

I let him lead the way as we navigate through the city streets, they're wide and open, as if the traffic of people through them had been plentiful long ago.

It's getting dark.

"How did this place just disappear off the face of the map?" I frown, eyes scanning the buildings, the moss growing on them, covering some completely in seas of green. "How is it that you were able to even hide a thing like this? Or that no one had found it beforehand?"

"A mystery to be sure your grace." He hums. "Whoever resided in this city beforehand, there is so trace of them now, not even remains to examine, and yet, it feels as if something has resided around this place for a long time after."

"You said the Faunus revere this place."

"It is my hypothesis, something I could be entirely wrong about but yes, it is what I believe. This Jungle is massive; a stretch of two hundred miles, and extends from one end of the sea to the other. It is the only way from Vale to Vacuo on foot, and there is only one manmade path that allows travellers to do that. The rest of the jungle is predominantly unexplored. This could have belonged to the Faunus, but I cannot know for sure… whether they have down work to keep it hidden in the past, I am not sure."

I raise an eyebrow. "Then what about you? If these Faunus are keeping this place hidden, how come you've been able to explore this place unabated?"

The green haired Lord chuckles. "That is another of the many question I have. Hopefully, one day, I will be able to ask them myself."

I turn away, looking over the streets again, and after a moment of silence, I let out a breath. "You will have my support on this."

He stops, turning to me. "I… I'm sorry?"

"I'll offer you my support. An official declaration for you to acquire the resources you need to make expeditions like this, investigate any other places of interest like this. Money, men, or anything else you believe you may need, ask and the crown will do its best to provide it."

 _That_ seemingly throws him off.

"I- Forgive me but, this sudden generosity is unexpected. Why?"

Because the feeling hasn't gone away. There's some connection to this place within me, something that doesn't make sense.

I haven't been here before. I've ever dreamt of it, thought of it and Rose hasn't mentioned it.

' **A new choice perhaps? We have not had any recent conversations with Rose. It may be that the decision to come here is the only way to discover a place such as this.'**

Maybe, that could be it, but right now, it doesn't _feel_ as important to know than it is to learn more about this place. If there really is something connecting to the Grimm, then I need to find out, I need to have people studying this place. Not that I can tell Oobleck that.

"You're passionate," I say instead. "You actually put your heart into your work and I can see that. Learning about this, learning about things that no one else knows is commendable, and something that should be encouraged." I try not to straighten up, I have to appear honest, sympathetic. "I'll be honest with you Lord Oobleck, my position as Queen is still fresh, I need support from someone powerful. I was I came here because I hoped you would be that support." Not a lie, but not the whole truth anymore. It seems to be working on him though, because he's nodding his head.

"That is understandable," He says. "And a mutually beneficial agreement between us is preferable, and as a Lord I am sworn to you either way. If you are offering me the crowns support, though, I understand that I must do the same. If you are truly open to honouring your words, then…" he trails off.

Yes, I know. If I'm really interested in having people here to investigate places like this, then it benefits him to see me kept in power, besides of course, all the other things I'd be doing for the kingdom. I'd have mentioned them, but I can already tell Lord Oobleck is a bit one-track minded.

It's the start of an agreement, which in my mind, is progress.

He stops, and turns back to look ahead. "We are here."

I follow his gaze.

Huh, the spire… it's different than I thought it would be up-close.

' **You mean impossible?'**

It's a tower, twisting up towards the sky and thinning out as it reaches the top. Moss and vines wrap around its structure, a structure mind you, that looks like… it was built unnaturally.

There is no mortar, no crenulations. It doesn't' look like it's been built brick by brick, but from one single giant block, carved out and risen from the earth. Yang was right. There's no doubt when I look at this that it was built by some kind of magic.

In front of me, is a circular seal-like door. It looks as if it's been sealed in place long before Oobleck would have found it.

What could possibly be inside?

"So you've studied this already?"

"Indeed, though not, I admit, as well as I would like. The inside is no doubt a more bountiful prospect in find out more, but if I wanted to enter I fear that I would have to physically damage the structure… I am not quite willing to do so."

I nod slowly, taking a slow step forwards.

You feel that?

' **Yes.'**

I swallow. There's the thrum again. Stronger than before, the same feeling when it set foot here but…

It's clearer.

This thing.

It's a door.

A door to something else.

Something below us.

Almost unbidden, my arms raises, fingers outreaches to… I don't know.

I feel like I just need to…

Touch the seal.

"Your grace?"

"I…" my voice, barely a whisper, trails off. This is far more important than speaking. There's something calling to me, deep down in my soul, like a hand gripping my insides and beckoning my forth.

And then suddenly my senses rupture in panic.

' **Something's here!'** Cinder howls, her vision already twisting within mine. **'Behind us!'**

I'm already moving, spinning to face the danger so quickly my cloak billows out.

It's what saves me as a figure tries to collide with me, only to get wrapped in the fabric. The word assassin is the first in my mind, and I lash out with a heavy boot that hits something fleshy. They leap back, but I can't get a good look at them, dressed in a black fabric that wraps close to their form, covering their lower face while a cloak not unlike my own of the same colour shields their upper half. The suns dipped, and the light can't breach the city's pit.

Someone cries out, and I can only imagine that there's more than one assailant that has gone after Lord Oobleck.

I need to call out to Yang and Weiss. I need to warn them.

' **Do it after you dodge!'**

It's the only warning I get as the figure lunches forward again, and I only have a moment to be surprised as I realise they're unarmed.

I push off the ground, hoping that I can dive to the side and keep myself upright. They're fast, faster than I am, but the sudden action sends them right past me

But before I can even think to feel relieved, the attackers body _twists_.

' **What!?'**

Their body moves in a way that should be possible; what must be their spine bends backwards, farther than should be possible without snapping, and they push off the ground toward my new position before my feet have even touched the ground.

' **Far too fast!'**

A growl rips through my throat as I bare my teeth. Not fast enough!

My hands snap out, not attack, but grabbing hold of their garb and wrenching it upwards while they're still moving.

I swing, planting my feet and they sail overhead courtesy of a throw that then sends them crashing to the ground. A sound escapes them, something I can't pick up clearly, but it rattles my bones either way as my mind just catches up with what had just happened.

I can't fight. Not in any properly taught way. I should have been able to do that. I didn't' _know_ how to do that.

I glance down at my hands.

My attacker, still recovering, is faster than anyone I've seen, faster than even Weiss when she'd torn through those soldiers.

But she wasn't faster than a Grimm.

I could match them in speed, but I could track them.

And Rose knew very well how to deal with things faster than her.

' **Power!"** Cinder cries. **'I can feel the power from this place!'**

What are you talking about?

' **That was Rose's skill! You've taken it for yourself!'**

Wha- how is that even possible?

' **The city! It's doing something to us. We feel stronger, clearer. Can't you feel it? That energy, it's bridging things together!'**

The idea sounds ridiculous, but I can't deny how this place is making my feel. She might be right, or she could be completely wrong, right now isn't the time to discuss it though. There are more important things going on.

The attacker's back on their feet again, and I can make out how hunched over they look. A feral feeling almost leaks from them like they're an animal almost. They're watching me now, carefully. I'm not going to surprise them with a throw like that again.

I swallow, and raise my hands defensively.

And then they _move_ again.

Instead of leaping to the side lie I had before, I dive forward, underneath them as they swipe out at me.

They're using their hands.

But not for grabbing.

' **Claws! I can see claws. Ruby, these are the-'**

"I know!" I snap, forgetting myself and answering aloud. They're still above me, it's like everything is in slow-motion, including my own body, but my reactions, my perception is as fast as it's ever been in comparison. Again, I lash out with one foot, kicking straight into the air and catching them in the stomach. From my position, my heel digs deep into their stomach and a strangled gasp escapes them. They land behind me, but my hand snaps out, grabbing their angle as I slide and twist, standing at the same time.

I rise, and they fall, for a single second, before I'm dragging them forwards across the stone with all of my strength. With my free hand, I reach for my dagger.

The curved blade flashes in the light of the now rising moon, and I hear a gasp from my assailant.

They struggle wildly in my grip, and with only one hand on them, I'm forced to let go. A snarl escapes my lips as I slice out, but they're still far faster than I am and I miss because of it.

In a second, they've cleared ten metres, creating a safe distance for themselves to glare at me from.

Damn it. I'm not sure I can react as fast if they come in for another swing. They'll be expecting it to-

' **Another on your left!'**

Cinder catches movement in the corner of my eye, and I react as she tells me to, ducking to the right as a set of clawed fingers pass by my head.

It's far too fast, I'd thrown my entire weight into moving and now I'm off balance. I'm falling.

Frantically I swipe upwards, and miraculously am rewarded by a pained screech as the Xiao-Long's blade opened up flesh, and a steak of blood flies through the air.

My back hits the ground a moment later and I'm already rolling, narrowly avoiding a boot as it comes down to crush my head.

In the movement, instincts that are neither mine nor Cinder's take over and I slash out again, this time, feeling the connection far better as my knife dugs straight into muscle and scrapes what I think in bone. I realise I've hit an ankle when the second attackers body falls to the body alongside mine.

I finish my roll and my feet connect with the ground again, I right myself, in time to see the first one dive to stand between me and the one on the ground.

I take a step back cautiously, and bare my teeth angrily at them.

"Stay away from me!" I snarl, holing the dagger out in front of me.

I receive a glare in response, the only part of them I can see is their eyes.

They're so bright, almost glowing even with a resemblance to-

' **Behind you!'**

Her warning comes at the same time as my instincts scream at me to move.

Both are too late.

Faster than the two before, something crashes into me from behind so hard I'm thrown off my feet.

I don't even hit the ground before something catches me around the throat.

I let out a strangled gasp and a cry as I'm lifted high enough that my feet are dangling and promptly thrown back down.

My hands come up just in time to me to shield my face from the stone beneath, but my dagger skitters out of my hands. I cough, the hits winded my and it's so dark now that I can't see. Somethings standing above me, blocking the moonlight. I try to raise my head, but a hand wraps around my mouth, squeezing tight, and I realise suddenly that they're trying to stop my breathing.

The struggle comes naturally, but I know it's already too late. They hit me too hard. It's like my bodies gone limp. Another hand passes my eyes, before landing on them. I'm greeted by a curtain of darkness.

And a moment later.

The true kind greets me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

The red sky greets me, dark like blood.

Wasteland is there as always, dead and grey.

And the runs of a town are now a familiar sight.

What isn't is the screaming.

I realise I've been dropped right into the chaos right as a Grimm des as my feet.

Rose is a whirlwind of blood as she carves through half a dozen of them without pause, deadly as she is beautiful, the snarl on her face is a twisted visage of my own features.

Twisted in ways I never thought they could be.

And for the first time.

She's not alone.

People are running.

Men, women and children, helpless, defenceless, are running for their lives as Rose stands between them and a sea of black that's approaching on the horizon.

Those poor civilians run as Rose cuts down as many of the Grimm as she can. Beowolves, Ursa, Nevermore that soar down from the skies and some I've never seen before.

But she's not alone now.

And she's not the only target.

All I can do is watch as people are cut down as they run. Those Grimm that slip past Rose as she fights and run down terrified people.

Rose told me it was fear that attracted them once, didn't she?

I'm seeing that in full effect here.

They're _torn to shreds._

Every time Rose dies I see it for only a moment before I wake up. But here I see it in _excruciating_ detail.

Men, women, and children, torn limb from limb, sinew from sinew. Blood and bone and flesh butchered and massacred right in front of me.

It's sick, and twisted and horrifying and I see every single moment of these peoples last.

And…

I barely even feel sick.

This is their fate, as it has been every other time.

Rose has seen this already, this has been the future in every one of my visions.

It's just the first time I've seen it in person.

This should be worse. I should be stricken with disgust and horror, powerless to move, to breathe or thing at the sights and smells and sounds around me.

But all I have eyes for, is Rose.

As she cuts through a lizard looking creature, she twitches, and her eyes fall on me. She snarls, grits her teeth so hard they sound like they're creaking and pushes off another attacker.

"You're god damn late this time. Fuck, okay listen, obviously we don't have much time. These Faunus. They're real. You know they're real now, and you have to make a choice. They're important, incredibly important. I made a mistake. I didn't trust them and I fucked it all up!"

She growls, ducking under a razor-sharp feather longer than her arm that was have killed her in an instant. It ails over her, and spears though poor peasants back as he runs.

Beowolves are on him, devouring him, before he's even finished screaming.

It just makes her madder.

And all I can do is watch. Watch in wide-eyed horror as Rose struggles desperately to give her last piece of advice before she dies. As people I didn't know, people I'm supposed to protect die by the dozens around me, exterminated like nothing but insects.

This feels-

It feels far realer than anything I've felt before.

Everything feels so much more vivid.

 _Raw._

 _My hearts beating like it's about to explode._

"Trust the Faunus. Listen to them, work with them for however long you can. You need them. You need their numbers, their talents and knowledge. So whatever you have to do persuade them into joining your kingdom. Do you understand me?! Forget about your own morals and pride and anything else holding you back! This is a chance!"

She cried out, just barely managing to black a massive black paw from an Ursa that even still throws her back. He rolls hard, scrambling to her feet in time to bisect Grimm that looked like a demonic boar.

"I don't know if it'll be enough but we need them. We need time. It's enough power. These Faunus could buy us months, years maybe to prepare. Don't do what I did. Don't hold grudges on the ones that wrong you. You need every single one of them as a united force! Do you hear me!? You need to build an army! You need the power to hold back these tides! If you can create a big enough force we might have longer!"

She lets out a mad scream that pierces through me and I nearly fall back.

Her eyes are on me. On me, looking at me.

Not _through_ me.

"Do you hear me!? Are you listening?!"

"Yes." I rasp. My voice barely a dying whisper. "Yes I hear you."

And just like that.

Rose smiles.

"Good."

And she drops her scythe.

Letting the darkness tear her apart.

And I see no more.

* * *

…

…

* * *

It's not nice waking up to pain, but it's my reality, as my sides ache and throb. My eyes feel heavy, worse than that, they're dry, flaky, like someone's put a paste over them, and it's dried, breaking apart as I try to open them.

It's disgusting, which just adds to what is definitely not a great moment for me.

They doo open though, and take a moment to adjust to the darkness.

…I'm on my side, that's the first thing I realise.

I'm lain out on my side, with bars in front of me.

A thrill of panic shots though me, before I notice that they're not iron, but wood, and beyond them, I can see leaves, trees.

I'm… in a wooden cage. In… the jungle?

And it's raised. I can tell from the trees, I'm higher up. Not on the ground.

I try to move.

To no avail.

W-what?

' **Bindings'** Cinder's voice whispers in my head. She sounds groggy, like she's been knocked out along with me.

' **That's because I was,** she groans, the sound rattling me jaw gently. **'And you can't move because you've been tied up. I can feel the sensations of something on your wrists, and ankles.'**

She's right. My senses are returning to me, pushing past the aches and pains just enough that I can feel ropes digging uncomfortable into the skin on my wrists, and my ankles, keeping them together.

And, unfortunately, whoever's tied me up, made sure my hands were _behind_ my back.

' **You're also gagged in case you haven't noticed.'**

Ah, that would explain the fabric wrapped around my mouth.

Gods damn it Cinder, give me a few moments to get my bearing before you remind me of precarious circumstances.

' **There's no time, someone's coming.'**

And just like that I'm alert, struggling against the ropes, I manage to manoeuvre myself up into a semi-respectable sitting position, despite how totally uncomfortable it feels.

Relax Ruby. You've had worse. It's just the presence of the cage that's freaking you out. You need to calm down.

I hear them then, footsteps creaking against wood. Not a floor, but a bridge.

Does that mean… that this structure is higher up than I'd anticipated?

I have no more time to wonder, because a figure's stopped in front of the wooden bars in fort of me, standing above looking down on me, my eyes trail up. It's still dark, so I can't see much, but I can at least tell that it's not one of the people who'd attacked my. And that they're far more womanly in figure. I can't distinguished what they're wearing either, but it's not the same as what they'd wore eithe-

My brain just stops.

Everything I'd been thinking of grinds to a halt as I look up high enough to meet their eyes.

Golden eyes.

Like the finest riches.

Like coins.

Animal-like, slit, like a beasts.

The same ones I'd seen in my nightmare.

And they're staring back at me.

A sounds nearly escapes my throat, only muffled by the cloth around my mouth. It's her.

It just- it is!

This woman whoever she is- she's the one I've dreamt of. She was there in the darkness, looking through me while the monsters closed in.

And now here she is. In the flesh, standing above me.

I want to say something, anything to her, ask her what's going on, who she is, what had happened to me?

' **Don't.'** Cinder warns me. **'We don't know what sort of situation we're in. We can't physically speak to her, so don't make us seem like a helpless captive.'**

I'd grit my teeth if I could.

Cinder's right. I know she is, but I can feel a _pull_ every second I gaze at her.

And…she hasn't spoken yet.

Its been a good minute, and she's just… staring at me. Completely silent.

Those inhuman eyes make it feel… off-putting.

It makes it worse that all I can even make out is her eyes. I feel like I'm missing something. Those ones that attacked me… they'd had… claws.

Actual, real claws.

This woman… with her cat-like eyes.

She was one of them.

Faunus.

They were, now undoubtedly, real.

And she was still staring at me.

Another five minutes go by, the only action either of us take is blinking.

Everything else, is silence.

Until I've had enough.

Whatever this is, it's not exactly helping me. With a grunt, I twist my waist, getting my bound feet underneath me, and straighten as best I can.

With my arms and legs bound, I don't have the best balance, but the back of this wooden cage supports my weight as I use it to stand, until I'm at my full height.

The woman is still a good two heads taller than me. She- she might be taller than Yang.

Those slit eyes watch me, but I won't let myself look intimidated. I've had swords pointed at me already. People have tried to kill me. A look from a stranger with bars between us isn't going to force me back.

So I stand, and carefully take a step forward, doing my best not to let it look like a pathetic shuffle with the bindings. I'm definitely within arm's length now, right in front of the bars, I look up at her. Waiting.

She looks down at me, and something shifts, her eyes move, or twitch in a way that makes me assume she's raising an eyebrow.

So I do the same, glancing down purposefully, to the gag, and then back up to her.

I see the understanding in her eyes instantly. She knows what I wants.

But there's a pause.

A drawn-out moment, as if she's considering to just deny my request.

I'm hoping she won't. If she's here to just stare at me, then maybe I can ask her some questions and figure this out.

My answer comes, and she reaches a hand slowly through the bars. I can barely maybe it out, but yes, it's her hands, five digits and all and I can hear a sharp sound, like something sharp, slipping out.

Claws, I realise. She has them too.

I force myself to stay as still as possible as she raises those claws to my face. I'm fairly sure that if she wants to, she could gouge out my eyes without so much as a struggle.

I wouldn't be able to stop her.

I don't feel… as fast, as I did in those ruins.

There's a tug, and the cloth drifts to the ground. I take a gap of air now that it's free.

I work my jaw slowly, glance up at her as she retracts her hand. I guess it was too much to hope that she'd do the same for my arms and legs. No, of course not. Whatever this situation is, it's clear I'm not a guest.

All the same…

"Thank you." I murmur, clearing my throat. "That wasn't exactly comfortable."

Her eyes shift, the slits expanding a little before closing again, as if she'd been taken by surprise.

"Ah," her tone confirms it for me. "You're… welcome."

I nod, it's strange. Three words, and I can already… feel something different about them. It's… the texture of them, like she's not used to it. Perhaps Valean isn't her first language?

' **Almost certainly. These… Faunus, have a presence about them. I felt it when we were ambushed earlier, and I feel it the same here. It is strange.'**

I can agree with that.

Right, well, I'm not going to get any information by just standing here stupidly.

"If I may ask," I begin slowly, keeping my voice low. There aren't any others here, but we're technically out in the open. There aren't any walls, and I'd rather not bring more attention to myself yet until I can figure out what's going on. I can figure it out talking to this… guard? "Why am I locked up?"

And I see those sharp eyes narrow almost instantly.

"You were tres-trespassing."

Ah. Right. Oobleck had guessed the city was a place they cared about. That was probably it.

"The ruins?" I speak, prodding for information, at least I'd like to think so. Admitting guilt wasn't exactly the best way to go about it, but if I could make it seem like I hadn't been aware of I my supposed crime, I might at least be able to converse with her smoothly.

Her eyes narrow again, this time in what my gut tells me is confusion.

"Ah, sorry, I mean they uh, stone city?"

She recognises the word, and nods.

"Yes… you tread on a place you should not have."

"Then I'm sorry. We weren't told that it wasn't somewhere we could go. If you had told us we could have avoided the trouble."

"Trouble." She echoes. "Like hurting my friends."

I blink. "I'm sorry?"

That apparently wasn't the right thing to ask. I nearly jump at the low growling sound that escapes her throat.

"Sorry? You apologise for making my friends bleed?"

"I wha- No! I mean yes! That's not what I meant. I said I'm sorry as in I didn't understand what you were saying!"

The Faunus' brow creases. "Your… words have different meanings?"

I nod quickly.

"I… didn't know this." She admits, looking confused. "Why is this?"

I tilt my head. "It's… context, I guess. You're saying it like you haven't had much practice with it. Do your people speak another language then?"

"My people?"

I nod carefully, watching in the dark as best I can for a reaction. Even in this cage, I've got a job now. This is the first contact that my people will have had with the Faunus, maybe even the first contact between Humans and Faunus.

I may be Queen, but I'm an ambassador here.

"Yes, your people. I'm… not sure what you call yourselves, but according to my own, they refer to you as the Faunus."

"Faunus." She echoes, as if tasting the word on her tough. "I haven't heard that word before… it's not in anything I've seen."

"Seen?" I blink, tilting my head slightly. "Yeah, I was going to ask, where did you learn Valean? Did someone teach you?"

She shakes her head. "No… I… learnt it from book that were brought back or left behind by those…. Carriages that passed through."

"Oh." She must mean the trade routes. Could it be that she'd just stumbled upon stuff like that?

' **Most likely not. From the sounds of it, such things were taken. The only questions is whether it was done forcefully.'**

Yes…. Oobleck had mentioned raids.

"Well," I say, not wanting my silence to drag on. "Your Valean sounds good."

She practically perks up. "It does? Really?"

I smile at the sudden lightness in her voice. She's less suspicious of me now, more curious. I guess I feel the same. "Yes. There's still a pretty big… I guess you can call it twinge. Just in how you pronounce things but I can understand what you're saying pretty easy. For learning it all from a book. That's pretty impressive. I don't think I could do that."

I can make out her smile in the darkness, proud. "Thank you. Most can understand it, it has become important to, but speaking it is much harder."

"You know." I say cautiously. "I'm not sure how it is for you, but I'm guessing you can… see me clearly?"

She blinks, maybe surprised by the sudden statement. "I can, yes. Why?"

I laugh. So she doesn't know about human eyesight. Does that extend to the rest of human physiology? I'll have to store that for later. "It's just that, well, I can't really see that well in the dark. Really, all I can make out is your eyes. Everything else is… pretty dark."

Like I expect, she blinks. "You… can't see me?"

She sounds surprised. That confirms it then doesn't it?

I shake my head. "Nope. I mean, your eyes are really bright, but apart from that I can just barely make out the shape of you and little things you do when you make an expression or something."

There's a creak as she leans forward. You need light then? To see?"

It's my turn to blink. She sounds… exited?

"I- Yes. I need light to see properly. Do you have any way of making some?"

There's a pause, a long one, before her eyes bob up and down, she's nodding. "Yes. Wait here."

' **Okay really? Where else would we go?'**

I roll my eyes as the woman turns away, ignoring Cinder's words. I don't hear her footsteps on what I know is some sort of wooden path. She's silent, which is… off-putting to say the least. It makes sense how those three at the ruins were able to just suddenly appear though.

"And we need to talk about that." I mutter.

' **Indeed we do. You felt it didn't you? All of that… power?'**

I feel myself nodding.

Yeah. I remember. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. But, it's not what you're saying it is. Power isn't the right word. It was just… a rightness.

' **You felt it though, we became faster, stronger there, as if stepping foot in the place granted us a power we have long possessed but could not reach.'**

True, but that's just the surface isn't' it? Those movements I used weren't anything I'd ever learned. I'd only seen them.

I've seen Rose move like that. She hasn't fought like that, at least not in front of me with the Grimm, but it was without a doubt her skill. Not mine.

' **Perhaps we are learning from her then? Her skills imprinting onto us?'**

I shake my head.

Mo. It's definitely not that. It… doesn't feel permanent. I don't feel the same way I did back then. There's no… absurdity. If it happened right now again, being attacked, I don't think I could defend myself like that.

There's a pause.

'… **I… believe I will have to agree unfortunately. I… don't feel the same as I did either. That power is… faded, lingering even. I don't understand it, but the power has been waning ever since you woke up… perhaps as soon as you left the city.'**

I lick my lips almost unconsciously. Oobleck had said it was a place of Reverence. If these Faunus had attacked me for some reason other than just, territory, then I could definitely understand why.

There's something there.

Something I need to understand.

' **Agreed.'**

Any other conversation is cut off as the woman from before appears again, her eyes glowing still in the dark, close to the cage bars gain. They lower, and I realise she's sitting down.

Following her lead, I do the same. grimacing as I realise I have to sit at an awkward angle with the bindings around my ankles.

I wait patiently, as I feel her stare on me, and meet her eyes in kind. I wonder, can she tell the colour of my eyes? Can she see the silver?

And then, there's a spark.

I squint for a single moment as the torch in her hand lights up, the flame spluttering to life. I see the wooden floor and worry for a moment that it's in danger of catching fire. She doesn't seem worried though, and I watch as she actually _sets_ the flaming torch on the ground.

' **Fireproof wood? Interes…ting. Oh.'**

Oh is right.

My eyes had been drawn to the flame, to the light, but as soon as they'd adjusted, in the tiny sphere of sight that it granted me in what I feel is a practically pitch-black jungle, I see the woman in front of me truly for the first time.

Those golden cat-like eyes are still there, but this time, I can take in her face.

She's… pretty.

She doesn't look that much older than me, in fact, from the looks of it she might only be Yang's age, if a year or two older. Her skin is a darker shape than mine too. Yang's mention of tinning in the jungle floats into my head, and I can't help but pin it here.

It's not… too dark, and I'm not sure what she might be naturally, but in the jungle, it's tinted.

The word 'honey' comes to mind.

And then my eyes roam up, and I stop thinking about her skin.

Because though I take in her hair, dark like a raven's, long and full, all of my immediate attention is on her ears.

The… the feline ears, atop her head.

They're stunning.

She flinches back in surprise, and I realise that I'd just said that allowed.

My cheeks creep with heat.

"You…" her voice is soft. "You think so."

"I- I-" Damn it. I can't go back on that no can I?

"I mean, yes? They- they are. I've never seen anything like this. I didn't see anything like this on the people from before."

"Ah." She nods. "Yes… it's… different for different sorts of Faunus. Others might not have the same features as me, different ears or tails."

"Tails?"

In response, I see something long and black swish over the woman's crossed legs.

A noise I'm not comfortable describing escapes my throat.

"You actually have a tail." I whisper. "How is that… possible"

She frowns. "You say that like it's a shock. You're the strange one here, how could you live your life without a tail?"

I flinch. "That's- I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. This is just- I was surprised."

And just like that her frown softens. "…Well… that's… understandable. I think. You humans… none of you have things like this, do you?"

I shake my head, even as I realise that I just _can't_ take my eyes off of her tail, and when I can, it's only to lift them to look at her ears.

' **Her four ears. She has normal ones too.'**

Is it even right to call them that? Normal? If she acts like it's not a surprise to have four then…

I don't even know what to think about this!

"I… I am shocked." I admit. "You're right. No none I've met has anything like… like a tail."

She shifts uncomfortably. "I see."

Oh.

"N-not that it's a bad thing! I assure her quickly. "It's- it just feels like a surprise is all. There's nothing wrong with it. I- they're beautiful even!"

The wrong words. Definitely the wrong words if the way she freezes is anything to go by.

Damn it.

 _Why am I committing verbal suicide?!_

' **I think you know why.'**

And then I freeze.

Oh gods.

You can't be serious.

' **I am very serious about this. You are too, I'm just your thoughts. You've already come to the conclusion.'**

By all the gods that exist.

I'm attracted to her.

The realisation hits like a Warhammer to the face and I feel like my face is suddenly alight with flames so hot I'll ignite. This is bad. Very bad.

I swallow, and realise that that doesn't help at all.

It just brings attention to how dry my throat suddenly is.

This is real isn't it? I find this woman on the other side of a cage, this stranger who may or may not be my enemy…

Incredibly attractive.

"U-u-um." I struggle, doing my best to steady my voice and failing. I can only hope the torchlight isn't enough to pick out how red my face feels. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable like that."

She coughs. "N-no. It's fine. I can take your compliment for what it is. Don't feel worried about it on my account. It… is good to hear that you don't find my appearance repulsive. We weren't sure what humans would think.

' **Oh there's no way of that.'**

Gah! Shut up Cinder!

"O-of course not." I clear my throat, fighting my way back to at least sounding somewhat regal, or at the very least, respectful."

"I'm sorry but, there are a few things I don't understand. I recognise now that I shouldn't have been in those ruins, even though I had no way of knowing it was disrespectful, but after I was…" I pause, searching for a non-aggressive word. "Apprehended, I've been put here. Can you tell me what exactly happing Miss..."

I trail off, realising I don't actually know her name. I feel like I might flounder for a second, but she seems to take my pause as an invitation to properly introduce herself.

"Blake." She nods. "Blake Belladonna."

She has a last name.

That feels important.

Is she the Faunus version of nobility?

' **Unlikely. For all we know, the Faunus don't have a nobility to begin with.'**

Maybe. But then, did that mean that everyone had last names here?

Something for later.

"Ruby," I say, repaying her gesture. "Ruby Rose."

' **Not Queen Rose?'**

Not yet. Not until I know the situation. For all I know that could make them more violent. I don't need another situation with people hunting me down because of what I am.

"Ruby." she repeats. I'm not sure what she thinks of it. It's like she's… tasting the word.

No! Bad Ruby stop thinking those thoughts!

Thankfully, Blake is unaware of my inner turmoil. "Well Ruby, it is wonderful to meet you."

"Ah!" I perk up. "You too. "So… about what's happening to me? Am I a prisoner here?"

Um, no, I don't believe so." I see her wince for the first time. "The others were… wary of you, especially after you drew the blood of a talented warrior of ours. While you are not at the moment in any sort of danger, it was believed that it would be safer for all of us if you and your companion were kept here."

"My companion?"

I pale. Oh gods I'd forgotten about Oobleck!

Blake notice me look, and nod to my side. My head whips around and I stop, shoulder's slumping as I see a cage beside mine, much the same, and Oobleck unconscious in it, he doesn't look harmed. If anything, he looks ecstatic in his sleep. Right. He'd probably seen the Faunus that had gone after him before things went dark.

"We know that one," she tells me. "He comes often. We allowed him to because he was respectful of things, and came alone."

"And when he didn't, your people acted." I realise, grimacing. "So there's wasn't any real harm intended."

She shrugs. "Sometimes the warriors get too aggressive. If they had their claws out, I can see why you would defend yourself. As long as it was defence, I can forgive it, as should they."

"Does that mean I'll need to speak with them?"

She shakes her head. Most don't speak human languages you will be brought towards the chieftain.

The chieftain." I blink. "What for?"

She hums, tilting her head as if searching for the word.

I make sure _not_ to focus on how smooth her neck looks.

After a moment, she nods to herself. "Interrogation."

And just like that my stomach drops. "Interrogation." I swallow. Blake pauses, noticing the change in my… everything.

"Yes," she says, eyeing me carefully. "You will be bright in front of the chieftain and his people, and questioned on important things."

"And… that's it?"

She frowns. "Yes. What else would there be?"

I take a breath.

' **Calm yourself Ruby.'**

I know. I know.

It's just-

The memories of what Weiss had done….

I've forgive her.

But I can still remember the pain.

"Just, can you promise me something?"

The Faunus blinks. "What is it?"

"This interrogation. It's not going to involve something like, I don't know; shooting me with an arrow, forcing the head through, wrapping It up before sticking your finger into the bloody hole it leaves behind?"

" _What?! No!"_ Blake recoils, looking genuinely horrified. "Why would that be done to anyone?!"

I laugh weakly. "I dunno. Just a question."

She can clearly tell it isn't, and the look she give me is on the wrong side of worried. Forget about it. Force past it.

"So," I cough. "When… when is this interrogation?"

Blake's eyes don't leave me for a moment. They linger, and I can't tell if that scares me or not. A moment later, she looks away, behind her, up to the sky.

"In the morning. Soon."

I nod quickly. I can only hope.

* * *

…

…

* * *

When morning comes, I start to regret my desire for the interrogation to come quickly.

Blake had left my in the night, bidding me farewell for a time and letting me sleep.

I hadn't. Whatever energy the city had possessed, it had kept me restless long through the night and morn.

When the light of the sun splits through the trees however, it is as if all at once the jungle had come alive.

I can see them.

All of them

We really are up above the ground. In fact, it's as if _all_ of their homes are built above the jungle floor in the trees, held up by massive stilts and bridges in between where I can see dozens, even hundreds of Faunus travel between. Above me, below me, everywhere.

It's like a massive, manmade web almost.

And in that web, I can see so many differences.

Feline traits are certainly not the only kind that Faunus have it seems.

Oobleck awakes not long after me, and predictably, he almost faints again right then and there.

He's ecstatic, practically ignoring the fact that he's locked up and bound.

"Do you see it?! Do you see it Miss Rose!?"

"I see it Oobleck."

"I was right. I was truly right! The Faunus are truly real. They have their own civilization! They're their own people."

"That they are." I murmur.

He catches it, and if it wasn't for the physical separation. I' fear he might have lunged for me. "You've spoken with on haven't you!? You've met one personally!"

I hesitate only for a second in worry he might have a heart attack, before deciding that lying to him won't do me much good here. "I did. Last night, one came and spoke to me. She told me that they would be bringing us forward for some sort of investigation."

"They speak our _language_!?"

"Just her I think," I say. "From what she told me, she taught it to herself. If any of them know Valean, it's in the minority."

It slows him down, if only in how contemplative he seems. "I see. It is unlikely we will be able to ask _them_ many questions then. From the sounds of it, they are curious of us."

I nod, and bring my voice to a whisper "Yes. I don't think I need to tell you that this is a massive opportunity Lord Oobleck. We're going to be communing with an entirely different species. We need to show that we are not a threat and if we can, welcome them."

"Of course. In some ways, perhaps it is fortunate that it was us that were taken. I, a lord, and you the Queen. What better diplomacy can we hope for? What is it you see then in particular?"

I take a breath. "I'm not sure. I'd like to find out if they're peaceful first. Then, I don't know. The facts are, the Jungle as a border, is still within the Lands of The Vale, and if they've been raiding then…"

Oobleck looks at me in horror. "You would punish them?"

"No!" I hiss before he can blow it out of proportion and bring the wrong sort of attention. "I'm hoping for the opposite of that. If I can, maybe I can open some kind of talks. Official ones, to try and figure things out."

I bit my lip. It might also be possible…

' **That we could recruit them. They were incredibly fast. Perhaps at the speed of what Weiss had moved when fighting before. And if they can be even better than that…'**

They could be a stabilising factor for my rule. A military addition like that would be nothing to scoff at.

It would depend on how many there are of them, what I can offer them.

And if they are willing.

I don't like it.

I'm already scheming on how to use an entire people for war.

' **It is what a ruler must do. You know it as well as I do that the Grimm are a threat, not only to us now, but perhaps even to these people. Combining would save not just us, but them. You are protecting them, even if they do not realise it yet.'**

You're…. you're right.

It just comes down to whether I can convince them of that.

Slowly, Oobleck nods. "Very well. I will follow your lead. I trust you will be able to convince them with your words your grace, as you did with the nobility the day before your coronation.

I suppress a wince at that.

Right.

I'd sounded good then.

I don't have a thousand Rose's going over my speech for me this time though.

Here's hoping Rose's speechcraft is somehow something else I borrowed.

My wish is one time too, because at that moment, two pair make their way towards our cells.

More Faunus. All with canine ears and ails of different breeds. One a fox, another a wolf, one a sort of hound and another I don't recognise. I'm not sure how any of this works, so I'll just keep quiet on it for now.

The fox grunts something at us, something I don't understand. Right, they speak different language. I get the gist of it though, they're ordering us to stand. I do so, and the door of the cage opens.

The fox steps forwards, and quicker than I can catch, slices open the bindings on my feet.

Oobleck's are done the same way, and the Faunus at his side takes a firm hold of his arm, nearly dragging him down the wooden path.

My own ward is slightly more gentle, motioning with his head for me to move first. I nod, knowing he'll understand the gesture and do what I'm told. At the very least, all I get from the pair not leading us is a suspicious look.

A few minutes later, we're brought to ground level by a wooden spiral of stairs, and led to an… Opening.

And it's a sight to behold in itself.

It's… it's a _menagerie_ of Faunus.

A wide open space on the shape of a circle, a stone platform, and all around it, a sort of open gallery for them to observe.

And they do. There must be a hundred, maybe twice that amount surrounding us. Most of them muttering, yelling, and jeering at each other, and when they see us, it finds its new target.

I weather it as best I can, my eyes focused forward as I'm lead into the centre.

I'm focused on the even higher platform above me, and on it, two chairs.

Thrones even.

Two figures, a man and a woman, with golden eyes and dark hair.

For a second, I almost mistake the woman for Blake, before realising that her hair is shorter, and her face showing the slightest sights of age.

Different, but similar.

Strange.

The man and the other hand is maybe the biggest person I've ever lain eyes on.

He's _huge_. He might even be the size of a beowolf if my eyes aren't deceiving me, and he wears a massive open coat, exposing his chest and the scars littering it.

His golden eyes bore into mine.

This, I know without a doubt, is the chieftain.

He certainly looks the part.

My eyes flash to the side when I notice the familiar face of Blake, at his side. I blink. Why is she there?

Right, a translator of some kind perhaps, or, maybe she's there to give her impressions on me from last night.

Either way, I know it's time, when the large man raises a single hand and everyone around us goes quiet.

The wards leading us cut out last restrains, leaving our hands free, and bow to their chieftain, leaving us on the stone platform alone

His voice carries with a boom.

And it surprises me then, that he's speaking Valean to everyone

"We are gathered here to witness the questioning of the humans before us. Two that journeyed into our homes with no announcement of their intentions. We are here to find whether or not they are a threat to us, and our people."

So he's peaking Valean so that I'll understand it then. I guess that's some sort of polite.

His gaze turns to us.

No, to Oobleck.

"Will you speak?"

Ah. Of course. Oobleck's older, the senior member. He's probably expected to be the one in charge.

If he wants, this would be his time to monopolise the situation, to seek answer to the burning questions within him.

He doesn't however.

Like he had promised, he runs, and bows his head to me, in an act of subservience.

He makes it clear that I'm the one to speak to.

I take a breath, and step forward.

"I will."

Whispers around us. Likely in surprise that the younger of us would speak.

At his side, Blake looks surprised. Maybe she didn't realise I was the one in charge from our talks.

The older woman on his left hand leans forward slightly in interest, a gleam I can't place within her eyes. She doesn't seem hostile, but there's still something about her that gnaw at me.

The chieftain raises an eyebrow.

"Very well. Tell us, what is your name?"

A clear question. For all of them, I know I should answer clearly, keep my voice steady, and remain as professional as I can. Let's see how it goes.

"Ruby Rose."

He nods. "Well met Ruby Rose. I am Ghira." I notice him pause, and his eyes flicker to his right. I don't quite catch where exactly before they're back on me and the corner of his mouth curls upwards. "You may call me by my name, or, if you would like, Chieftain."

I bow my head slightly. "Thank you."

"Good, it is relieving to hear that you are polite." His hands fold in front of him in what I can only perceive as a peaceful manner.

This… isn't what I'd expected. Someone that big. I'd assumed they would have been far more… aggressive.

"I would first like to apologise of any rough treatment you have endured. Your appearance in our home was a surprise last night, and we were unable to decide what to do with you."

"It's fine." I say, measuring my words. "Neither of us were hurt too badly."

He hums loudly. "I see. That is good for you. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for our side."

There's a hiss from the crowd, and I tense. Ghira silences them with a hand again, before speaking. "One of our warriors returned with you, bleeding, hurt from wounds he claims you caused. Is this true?"

' **You could lie… but I would suggest keeping to the truth. If he catches you, it would reflect poorly.'**

I already realise that.

"Yes." I say, pushing past the second hiss that rises from the crowd. "It is."

"I see." He nods. His hands glide to his side, to a table by his seat, and my eyes widen as he lifts a very familiar item for all to see.

"Was it with this weapon?"

My eyes lock onto the curved blade of the Xiao-Long.

"Yes." I say slowly. "That is mine."

His eyes narrow. Not angrily, but questioningly. "You came with a weapon to our homes? Why?"

"I didn't intend to use it on your people." I tell him, raising my voice a little so that everyone could hear it. "It is mine, given to me by my Tribe to protect me."

The woman at his side leans forward in interest. "Tribe? What kind tribe are you referring to? Are you sure?"

Despite myself, I blink, and a frown spreads across my lips. "I'm not sure what else it _could_ refer to. I was raised by a nomadic group of people called the Xiao-Long's for most of my life."

A chuckle escapes her, and I realise I've been too aggressive all of a sudden.

"Of course, I meant nothing by it dear." She assures me, sitting back. "It's just that, from what we've heard, humans tend to like in more… closed off areas from what we've learned. It seems odd that you would then claim to be nomadic."

I feel my temper flare up defensibly.

"I don't _claim_ to be anything. It's the truth. If you mean towns and villages, then yes, they do. But plenty of people have different cultures they grew up in, I'm sure you know. I happened to grow up in one of these environments."

The woman's lips curl upwards just a tad into a smile. For some reason, it bugs me. It bugs me more so when she leans over to the chieftain and whispers something I can't hear. His own lips twitch in response and he nods to her.

Are they making a joke out of me?

I hope not, but either way it's worrying.

The big man speaks again.

"Then we apologise, we are not all too well versed in how human's act towards each other. Our contact with them I usually indirect. If we make incorrect assumptions, feel free to correct us."

I swallow. That little spark of anger is snuffed out in an instant by hi ord. Damn it, now I just feel childish.

I can't afford that.

"Of course." I nod, doing my best to appear thankful. "Apologies for my reaction, many people don't look fondly on Tribes such as mine. We're… social outcasts when it comes to interaction with cities and the like."

"I see," he nods. "We are learning all sorts of things here, aren't we? Now, forgive me, but I think we should get back to the rather important question of why you are here. If you would be so kind Miss Rose, could you answer it?"

Right yes. Of course. Thanks to Blake's little visit, I feel like I'm at least semi-prepared or this question.

"First of all, I would like to say I am sorry for intruding on the city. I've just recently been made aware that it is an… important place to your people. If I had known beforehand, or had been warned away I would have tread more carefully. I didn't mean to offend."

There's whispers amongst the crowd again, but my eyes are on the chieftain and his… I hesitate to say wife, but I's the best I' got. They look thoughtful, like they're considering what I'm saying to decipher whether I'm being truthful or not. I'm not sure how well these Faunus can pick out a lie, so I need to be a truthful as I can.

Surprisingly enough though, it's Blake that steps forward.

"Then why were you there? If you didn't realise its importance, then what possible reason could you have had for being there?"

"I was looking for you."

She stops, looking caught off guard by my admission.

"The chieftain leans forward. Come again? Could you explain that? You were looking for here?"

"Well," I flush. "Not her in particular. I mean, more like the Faunus as a whole. I'll be truthful with you, most people don't even believe you exist. You're thought of as a bedtime story for children for the most part."

"Really?" his wife asks. "Well that's a something. I can believe it though, our people have reminded in these jungles for very long time." She frowns. "That doesn't answer the question though. If your people believe us to be made up, then why were you out here."

I bit my lip, glancing back at Lord Oobleck for a moment "I… to be honest, I didn't believe you existed either. It was only on the invitation of my companion here that I came at all. It was more to appease him, and that on the off chance that you did exist, I would be… able to start relations with your people."

The Faunus crowd jeers. They sound _offended._ One speaks, a dark-skinned woman with tiger-like ears, and dark stripes running down her body. Her eyes are sharp. Angry. "Humans would start relations by sending a _child?_ Is it a chance to insult u or are you really that arrogant?!"

Dozens echo her in agreement, and it takes the chieftain raising a hand in warning again for it to quieten. Blake is glancing between the tiger woman and me rapidly. He looks unsure. Of me.

"I'm sure the humans meant nothing by Sienna. As the child as said, they didn't believe in us in the first place. It does raise the question though, why you specifically? Why were you sent?"

"I wasn't."

"Pardon?" He blinks, and the woman at his side leans forward once again.

"You just said you came to possibly establish relations. Was that a lie?"

I shake my head. "I wasn't. I came of my own will. My own decisions. I believed that if it were to happen, it should be done by me."

"And why I that dear?"

I bite my lip and glance back at Oobleck, the unspoken question in the air.

 _Should I do it?_

In response, I receive a bow.

He'll trust my judgment. It's up to me.

That doesn't make me feel better. He's the one with the knowledge, the experience even. He knows more about the Faunus than I do at this point.

And yet…

My eyes flicker to the crowd. To their distrusting faces.

They're wary.

Scared even.

They don' trust what they fear. As they shouldn't

He's right.

It has to be me.

For all the ridiculous circumstances, it needs to be me to say it, me who starts this right here, even in the position I'm in. If anything, this might be my best chance.

At last, my eyes fall back to them. They're the leaders. It's clear. They've been calm. They've listened. Talking to them is an amazing opportunity and right now it' all I have. It might be the only real chance I get.

My eyes fall on Blake, and that look on her face. She wants to know more. I can see it. She's hoping that I really am her peacefully. That I'm telling the truth.

' **What better way to make an impression?'**

I take a breath.

"It needed to be done by me, because it is my authority that is final."

"Oh?"

"Yes," my eyes harden, and I met the glen or of the chieftain. "I am the final authority. I saw an opportunity, aware one, to make contact with a different people, and welcome them as best I could, to offer them the chance to interact with the kingdom in a peaceful way."

He shakes his head indulgently. "I'm afraid things like that are far more complicated my dear. Decisions involving an entire people are made by the most powerful. The leaders."

' **Oh he said it. He set us up perfectly!'**

I can't help it. I smirk.

"I know. All the same, it is my decision that will decide whether or not you would be accepted. It could be far more trouble, these Jungles are within the borders of The Vale."

Another voice yells out at my side, I don't turn to see their face, but I can hear the indignation in their tone. "Well if the rulers of Vale have a problem with us being here then that's their problem. We've never needed them. If they want to debate about it then they can come here themselves!"

"They have."

Silence.

Thick, heavy, and oh-so-satisfying silence.

I can _see_ the realisation dawn on the chieftain's face. "You mean-"

"I came here to see you all for myself!" I say, my voice rising for all of them to hear. "For all of you, this is the first time you will have ever met me, perhaps even the first time you have ever heard of me. All the same, I came here to see you, to extend a hand to all of you, and if possible, welcome you as the people you are, Citizen of The Vale, _my_ people."

Cinder smirks with me, and it feels all the better for it.

"That is my decree, and so are I've been fairly impressed so I suppose I should introduce myself fully; as Ruby Rose, Queen of The Vale."

* * *

…

* * *

 **And there we go! Phew, I think a lot was covered this chapter I think. We got more on Oobleck, so some interesting sights and hey! Blake! It's about time.**

 **Our proper introduction to the Faunus at last, and well, I'm sure you've noticed that they have more than just** _ **one**_ **animal trait. Just a personal preference thing. I've seen lots of art with Blake having a tail, and the posters always show her eyes being slit like a cat, yet in the actual show we never see it. I also had a little debate about how Blake should look skin tone wise. Again, personal preference, but a person who lives in a jungle should be fairly dark I think, and yet in the first 3 volumes she's as pale as a ghost. V4 and 5 she gets a little more of a tan living in what is essentially Remnant Australia, so I went with something in the middle.**

 **Either way, it's not a big deal but I thought it might help get a picture of her. We'll have plenty of time to get comfortable with her going forward.**

 **We've got some good stuff coming up, hopefully you'll feel the same way when we finally get there, I'd say we're about halfway through Act one, but that might change depending on how much I'm able to cover.**

 **Hopefully you'll enjoy what I put out and sick along for the ride, I'll be honest, the amount off attentions this story's getting is pretty crazy with just eleven (now twelve) chapters… and Shattered Fairytale with 55 chapters isn't' that far ahead. Is it the theme that attracts you guys? The opening chapter? The summary? If you read both or only one, can you let me know?**

 **I want to come back with the questions though, so here it is; People have been suspicious of Cinder so far and I know her appearance and place wasn't what people were initially expecting, so I've been wondering, what do think is going to happen with the** _ **other**_ **named villains that we all know and love/hate?**


	13. Act 1: Part 12

…

 _ **Act I**_

 _ **Birthright**_

 _Do you see the foolishness of your actions? You dare, all of you, to withstand against us? This affront I will not stand. I will Rage, and Wrought your destruction. No paths lead hence, I will return your armies to the dust, naught shall remain._

 _I will turn your seas red, your lands black and the eyes of every man, woman and child will dull as retribution for your folly._

 _Come then, face your end, you show fear at the outcome you know to be true, yet you have none to blame but yourself. The weak who courts death is destined to die, and you have doomed your people to share this face._

 _I will erase you here, and return your cloying spirit to the void. In the name of the Queen!_

 _-_ _Words said to have been of Xanthous Rose, warrior sister of Saffron Rose, and praetorian of the Crown, spoke during the First battle of Crucible, during the Rouge Era._

…

The reaction is what I'd expected.

Disbelieving.

Shocked.

And very, very loud.

"What is this!?" Voices from the crowd cry out in anger. "You expect us to believe these lies?!"

"Do you think you can insult us like this?"

"Did she say the Queen?"

"By the ancestors is she telling the truth?"

"Don't believe the human's lies!"

I take it all in, turning my head to watch them.

I can see it all.

The look on their faces.

It's a slew of faces, some in disbelieve, staring at me in wonder, curiosity and a considerable amount of anger.

That's… a reaction, I suppose. Not exactly a wholly positive one. There are a few faces I can pick out; the woman, Sienna, had a sharp look about me. She was considering me now, I can tell for what, I'm not sure.

' **Take a look at her.'**

I keep my gaze on Sienna as Cinder's move on their own, to Blake. And the wide-eyed stare she's giving me. She looks astounded.

… Don't be too full of yourself on that one Cinder, I need this to be serious. Your smugness is leaking over.

' _ **Your**_ **smugness you mean. But fine, I agree, we can save it for later. Let's make an impression yes?'**

"Calm!" Ghira yells over the chaos. "Calm yourselves! All of you!"

They're not listening to him at the moment, and he can tell. His eyes meet mine, and I raise an eyebrow expectantly.

I can feel it. He can too. The whole dynamic has changed now. He needs to get his people under control if he's going to figure out what to do.

Surprisingly, it is his Wife that makes a move.

"Enough!" she snaps, her voice cracking like a whip and silencing everything and everyone in an instant. A ridiculous part of my mind makes it seem like even the jungle around us followed her command. "We are not children set lose by just a few simple words. This is an investigation, do not insult your ancestors by acting like animals. Stay silent while the Chieftain is at work."

It seems to work, because as I watch, everyone begins to sit down, looking sufficiently calm and cowed at the same time.

What I wouldn't do for a talent like that.

"Thank you Kali," The chieftain says, before turning back to me. "Now… forgive me, but your… _confession_ was unexpected. And, I will admit, hard to believe. To come out and say you're a queen is, well, it just doesn't seem likely."

I shrug. "I can understand that. Truthfully, I wouldn't yet be queen if it weren't for specific circumstances. Not until recently I was referred to as a princess. The distinction Is still royalty though."

"And yet," Sienna interjects coolly "Didn't you just claim to be a member of a nomadic Tribe? Was that a lie, or is your story already contradicting itself?"

"Neither," I answer. "I was raised by the Tribe until I was sixteen, then, I returned to the capital and took the crown. The details are… complicated. All that matter now is that the crown belongs to me, I rule."

The tiger woman hums, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. She doesn't look upset. She looks…. Interested. Ghira takes over again. "So you became Queen recently? Pardon if this offends you, but I would have had a hard time believing you are queen at your age."

"No offence is taken chieftain. I can understand the suspicion, but despite that, it _is_ true. I can't give you much in terms of proof other than my word, at least none that I know you would be familiar with."

He raises an eyebrow.

"And what might this proof that we are unfamiliar with be? You act as if you know we wouldn't recognize it."

"I know you haven't, because it's been staring right at you."

"Pardon?"

I glance towards Lord Oobleck, motion for him to explain for me. It'll seem less likely a lie if I'm not the one explaining it. He catches on and steps forward.

"What her grace says is the truth. She is the Queen of The Vale, my liege. I understand that with your isolation, you may not be aware of the Rose lineage, but for many millennia, they have ruled the Vale, and before that, the world."

 _That_ garners attention, if the whispers are anything to go by. I can't hear them clearly, but I've got a feeling these Faunus, with their own improved sense, can.

"Thousands of years?" The chieftain stares in surprise. "That is… a long line. I admit to being curious about something that entrenched in time.

Oobleck perks us at that. "It is extensively recorded in our Kingdoms history. If you wish I can show it to you later. It is certainly interesting."

"Would you?"

"We're getting off topic." Kali interrupts before the two men can lose themselves. "This proof? What is it?"

"Why, her eyes my lady," Oobleck declares. "No matter the age, no matter the situation, but it ten years ago, be it a thousand, every Rose has had Eyes of Silver, and they are the _only_ line to possess them. It has been proof of their blood for as long as they have held the throne."

"Really?" Kali asks, sounding doubtful. "The Rose line is the _only_ family to have silver eyes? This sounds… unlikely. You realise that don't you? That you'd be the only one?"

"Forgive my lady, but have you ever met another with Silver eyes?"

"I…" she winces. "No, I have not… Very well, I will choose to believe that you speak the truth."

He bows his head. "Thank you my lady." he says, before stepping back and allowing me to take centre stage again. I send him a thankful nod as I do so."

"Well, now that we have the question of my identity is at least so much as agreed on, we can get to the issue of this."

"Issue?"

I tilt my head and put on my best smile. "Well you _did_ attack me? Or, at least a group of your warriors did. That is a serious crime." I pause. "Although I am _willing_ to forgive it under the circumstances."

I see the pair before me tense slightly, the chieftain staring at me sharply. "How… generous of you. I realise… your majesty, that we are at fault for our ignorance in this case. However, you make it sound like you want something from us."

"Three things actually?"

"Ah." He sighs. "And what would they be? Preparations for the damage? Resources?"

"Those would be nice," I admit. "But no. Actually, I believe the first is beneficial for all of us. I'd ask that you allow Lord Oobleck to leave with a small collection of your own people to let them know that I am alive and safe. It will benefit both of us that way."

"Will it now?" Kali raises an eyebrow. "How exactly would it help us? I don't think we're opposed to it, but it feels like you're making some presumptions."

I smile. "Well, for starter, it means that my sister won't burn down this entire jungle looking for me."

Silence.

Absolute silence that feels all too satisfying. As the looks on their faces morph into one of shock and horror.

I blame you for that Cinder.

' **Fine by me, I'm enjoying this plenty.'**

It seems in the shocked silence; _Blake_ is the one who speaks.

"You can't be serious! How would she- why would anyone do that? How could you threaten us like that?!"

"I'm not." I answer smoothly. "I'm just stating the facts. If my sister starts to believe that I'm in danger she'll light this whole place of fire to find me. If she thinks I'm dead, she'll do the same much faster."

Blake's eyes narrow, and I can see her clawed hands clench into fists. Strangely enough, she doesn't break the skin.

"What kind of reaction is that for a person to have to anything? Is she insane?"

My own narrow in return to that. "No, she's not. I'd thank you not to insult my sister, _my lady_. Her reaction is completely expected, especially considering my situation."

"Why?" she snaps.

"Because from her view," I growl. "It will seem as if I've been attacked by assassins. It wouldn't have been the first time."

She pales, backtracking at my declaration while those around us mutter between themselves.

Ghira takes control before it can get worse. "That's quite enough Blake. There's no reason to accuse her majesty of anything and overstep your bounds like that. I'd ask you to watch yourself from now one or you will have to be removed from these talks."

I can tell he's thinking of the dangers now. I've made it clear the consequences of going against me just from a few simple words. I wonder what he sees in his head. Is it the flames that could turn it all to ash? is it an army of men cleaving through the treeline and butchering all of his people in retribution?

Or is it something worse?

No matter what it is, it's clear the dynamic has very much changed now.

Luck for him, I don't exactly have any intention on harming his people.

It doesn't hurt to seem intimidating though

"I-" The Faunus bit her lip, looking away sullenly and stepping back. "Yes father."

Eh?

' **Eh?'**

 _EH?_

' **Oh this is perfect! The one you're lusting after is the daughter of their chieftain!'**

What is _wrong with you?!_

' **Think of the opportunities Ruby. This is perfect. You can solidify your position and gain a staunch ally at the same time!'**

Stop talking! Just stop. What is it with you and the desire for me to sleep with a total stranger?

' **They're** _ **your**_ **desires. I'm just brave enough to admit them for you.'**

I'm ignoring you now.

"It's no bother." I interject, keeping my voice as soft as I can and fighting past the embarrassment inside as I turn to the Chieftain, and then back to Blake. "It's an understandable concern after a danger such as what I spoke of is revealed. I perhaps got a little too aggressive, forgive me, attempts on my life have been frequent since I rose to power. It is a… sensitive topic."

The Faunus woman swallows, nodding hesitantly as if accepting my apology and offering her own at the same time. It's enough for the Chieftain to relax a bit, something I can visibly see by the way his shoulders drop. "Good. So long as there is an understanding reached. However this… idea that our homes would burn…"

"Is something that can be easily prevented." I say. "Simply send Lord Oobleck back with a collection of your people as proof, and it will be enough for my sister to wait. Or at least enough to make it so that others will watch her."

Weiss do your work.

He nods. "Alright. We'll arrange it at once. The sooner the better." He motions to someone to his right, and a collection of armed Faunus hurry over. This time, they're far politer as they gesture to Lord Oobleck. Before he can leave though, I grasp his arm and lean close to his ear.

"Make sure Yang gets the message. Weiss is a level head in this, but if my sister doesn't get some sort of proof then it won't matter." I raise a hand to the silver clasp on my shoulder and unhook it, freeing the red cloak from my person. "Take this, it should be enough. I'll be here a while longer… working things out. I'll want this back when I'm done."

He nods. "Yes your grace. I'll make sure it's done. And…" he glances around. "Well done so far. I was concerned there for a moment, but you seem adept at working an audience. For the chance to build a relation with these people, I'll put my faith in you."

And with that, I release him, and the Faunus at his side lead him away. I can allow myself to savour in that small victory at least. If he can calm Yang down before she explodes I won't have to worry about being on a time limit.

I have enough pressure on me as it is.

I turn back to my audience, now alone on the floor. "Thank you for that. Lord Oobleck is a good man from the interactions I have had with him. Neither of us will have to worry about the dangers of fire at least."

"I agree. I'm thankful that you are concerned about our wellbeing at least."

His tone makes it clear he saw it as a circumstantial thing. After all, if the Jungle was to burn down with me in it, that would be an issue.

A shame, I'd have hoped it would have been a little friendlier reception wise.

Oh well.

"Now then," he says. "You said you had two other… request. If we can provide it your majesty, I will do my best to provide it."

I smile up at him. Good. It makes things easier for me.

' **Don't,'** Cinder warns **. 'Stop smiling and look serious. You need to offer a hand from a position of power.'**

…Right. Of course. This is my job as Queen now, not a casual conversation.

I straighten up, doing my best to mask my emotions. I'm not sure if it works, but Cinder's confidence seeps through.

"That's good. They should be too hard to for you. First, I would like to begin negotiations with your people, with you, and work towards a smooth set of peace talk negotiations."

For some reason, Ghira doesn't look as relieved by this. If anything, he looks confused. "Peace talks you say? Forgive me, but I wasn't aware we were in need of such talks. As you said, before, you didn't know we existed."

"True," I incline my head. "And yet, there has been evidence that raids have been conducted on my lands, coordinated attacks from a group of people inhabiting these Jungles. The witnesses that spoke of it claimed animal-like creatures attacked them. Some said dreams. Do either of those descriptions seem to match your people?"

Ghira shifts uncomfortably. "I… was not aware of this."

I blink.

Oddly enough… I don't get the feeling he's lying to me.

"If that's the case," I begin evenly. "Then it sounds like we will have much to talk about."

He lets out a deep sigh and nods. "Very well. Overall, it's a beneficial arrangement so far. I can understand your need for it, and if you truly want to keep things peaceful between us your majesty, I can't refuse it. I suppose that just leaves your last request."

I nod. "It does. I want to go back to the city I was found in."

And the growls begin around me.

I knew I was stepping on something dangerous before I'd even said it.

The chieftain's eyes sharpen. "The old city is a sacred place… and possesses no resources, no riches or significant meaning to you or your people… why would you want to return there?"

That's the question isn't it?

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. I just… don't know. But it calls to me, in a way nothing else has before.

I _need_ to go back. I _need_ to find out what it is.

But I can't say that. I can't explain to them in a way that doesn't make it sound like a passing fancy, in a way that wouldn't have them refuse me.

"Make no mistake Chieftain, I don't mean to disrespect your history… I wish to inspect it. To learn… nothing more."

As much as I don't want it to be, it's a lie. It's not the full truth.

And he _knows_. I don't think the others have realised, but he has. I can see it in the way his lips twitch downwards, in the way he breaths and his eyes slit for just an instant

There's a pause, before he sighs, and stands. "We will see, for now, I will have to decline your final request, until I can be certain. I am sorry."

I suppress the desire to hiss through my teeth, to the flare of anger from both myself and Cinder that threatens to leak out. I manage to nod. "I understand. I… will accept it for now, and leave the decision up to you."

"Good." He nods. "And with that, I believe that for now, this questioning has come to an end. I bid you to follow me your majesty, we will discuss the terms of negotiation in my home."

' **Home?'**

"Ah." I blink. "Thank you."

He nods, and ushers for a pair of Faunus at his side to lead me out of the stone centre.

The crowds are already filing out, some, trying to get a better look at me as I leave, other's going back to their business most likely, and some, well, I don't really know. I see Sienna watching me as I leave.

Unconsciously, I realise my eyes have trailed back to where Blake had been standing.

She isn't there.

I don't even want to think about why that annoys me.

* * *

…

…

* * *

I briefly wonder how large this settlement is exactly. From what Lady Goodwitch had told me befo0re I'd left, the jungle itself was incredibly vast, some sixty thousand leagues, a complete natural barrier between The Vale and the Kingdom of The Sands, and an expanse of greenery as far as the eye could see.

As as I walk through this Faunus settlement, that feeling is similar. I don't know if there are other settlements, other… I suppose I could call them towns, of Faunus, but as I look around me, above in the trees that reach up and up and up towards the sky, I think I can see hundreds of houses build amongst them. Bridges and walkways built like an intricate spiderweb, if said web was built by an army of arachnids over a hundred year maybe.

From where I stand, it definitely feels as if it stretches on forever, even if I know it's not true…. Just how far do these Faunus expand for them to have never been seen up until this point?

' **How many people would bother to look up if they came across this place anyway?'**

I suppose there's that.

' **You're getting some looks by the way.'**

I know. I've noticed it, the stares. I'm following the Chieftain and his wife, which I'm guessing would get me a few looks either way, but the fact that I'm most certainly not a Faunus, and what I'm sure is the whispers now spreading that I'm a Queen… people are bound to want a peak. I can't get a good look at most of them, even as high up as I am, there are some even higher. They're watching though, I can tell, and the feeling that not all are happy to see me is… well it crawls up my spine like a warning.

It is kind of intimidating. From what I've seen, not one of these Faunus is shorter than me.

Maybe that's a silly thing to contemplate, but each and ever Faunus I've seen so far looks like they might be Yang's height or taller.

Is that just how Faunus are? Is a height advantage just an added bonus to the fangs, claws and other appendages I'm seeing?

And I _am_ seeing plenty.

' **Ears, tails, wings and scales. So many fantastic varieties!'**

Focus Cinder. I need you to watch where I can't. Like you said, we need to appear serious here.

I feel her wince actually, a draw on my skin like it's pulling back, yet I know it's not. Then, she sighs. **'Yes, of course. We will have plenty of time to study them afterwards. The important issues take the forefront of our attention… speaking of which.'**

My eyes follow Cinder's prompt, to a massive spiral of vines on a…

Wow. That is a giant bloody tree.

It's… _huge._

I crane my head back in a vain attempt to see the top. It's taller than any of the trees surrounding it, I can't even guess by how much, the clouds above seem to have problems match its height, and it's wide enough to be a building onto itself. It's as if some god had enchanted it to dwarf any structure made by man, so overwhelmingly massive as it was.

"See something impressive dear?"

I blink, looking down only to realise I'd stopped moving, and the Chieftains Wife, Kali, is looking at me.

"Ah," I cough into my fist, hoping that she won't call me out on my shock. "Apologies, that tree is…"

"Oh! Yes, the Greatwood." She beams. "It is the work of our ancestors, where their spirits go when they pass on. An impressive sight isn't it?"

Ancestors?... a religion perhaps.

' **Most likely…'**

"It's an impressive sight." I admit to her, hoping that she doesn't take offence to my gazer at what I know now is a religiously significant spot.

Thankfully, she smiles again instead, and I blink as she approaches me, and wraps links her arm with mine. "Come dear, let's keep going, we're almost there."

"Where _are_ we going anyway?"

"Why, to the top of course."

Eh?

"Come on now" she says, leading me along, up a wide spiral staircase overhanging the open air. Wow, these people just aren't afraid of heights are they?

The climb is not a quick one, and by the time we're halfway, we begin to pass the trees.

Into the open air around us.

And I can see the Jungle, stretched out in all its magnificence.

' **It's… certainly beautiful.'**

That it is, but more than that, everything feels so much _cleaner, clearer._ The sun's rays are nearly blinding, and the warmth this high up is tempered by the coolness of the Jungle mists as we pass through them.

And still, we climb, until we reach a widened out platform, and what is most definitely a palace in the sky.

My eyes widen. Is this-

' **Marble,** Cinder muses. **'Now where could they have gotten something like this.. and… how did they get it up here. Do you see that Ruby?'**

I do. This building wasn't built around the tree, it had grown _from_ it. This pristine white marble, that looked ancient and new at the same time, was fused with the bark of the tree, or, like it had roots of its own that sprouted from it.

There's some kind of magic here. There has to be, I can't fathom any other explanation.

Why it's here on the other hand, is a mystery to me.

I don't really get much time to dwell on it as I'm led into the home. It's the three of us, and I'm led to a low table in the centre of one of the larger rooms.

There are no chairs.

' _ **That's**_ **what you notice first?'**

Sh-shut up! There are a lot of things going on right now okay?

' **Really? Are the words coming out of the chieftains mouth on the top of that list?'**

Eh?

I blink, my gaze turning to the large man as he sits down at the table, crossing his legs in front of him. Even sitting he still cuts an imposing figure, only offset by his smile.

' **He was offering you a seat.'**

I swallow, taking Cinder's word for it and sitting down in the same manner as him on the other side of the table. "Thank you Chieftain for having me in your home. This hospitality is greatly appreciated."

"Oh none of that dear." His wife says, I hadn't even noticed that she'd left the room, but she's returning now with a tray of cups, three filled with tea. Wait a minute, I'd barely been here a minute. How did she have tea ready? "You are our guest, and away from prying eyes. You don't need to uphold the same sort of formality here. Please, try to relax."

Relax she says, like it's that easy. "OF course, forgive me, I didn't mean to-"

"None of that."

I blink as she points a finger at me chastising. "W-what?"

"I said none of that! Relaxing means speaking regularly, without the careful planning behind every sentence."

My eyes flicker to the chieftain as if to as if she's really being serious right now. He shrugs as if to say; you might as well go along with it.

Who was the boss around here again?

' **The wife obviously, you should know the power of a woman… or, I suppose not.'**

What is _that_ supposed to mean?

' **I'm sorry do you really need me to explain?'**

…I hate you Cinder. So very, very much.

"Well," I say slowly. "Thank you… I'm not really sure how I should refer to you then but…"

The woman smiles at me, and it's… so odd to realise that there's no veiled threat or idea behind it. She's just _smiling because she's nice_.

"You can call me Kali, most people close to us use our names, so it's only fitting."

"And… where does that leave me? I mean, I doubt I'm _close_ to you. we've barely even met."

She laughs, taking a drink of her tea, and I do the same almost unconsciously. "Well maybe not right now, but I would like to be. I would like all three of us to be friends, especially if we're going to be discussing such major changes to how our people are going to interact."

"My people?"

"Humans, dear."

"Ah." I breathe, taking another sip to mask the moment of collecting myself. "Forgive me Kali, and you Cheiften, but I'm afraid you overestimate my power."

The large man hums, not challengingly, but in honest interest, lasing his fingers as he laid them out on the table, clearly listening to me. "What do you mean? You're the Queen aren't you?"

"Of the Vale." I explain. "There are three other kingdoms that I hold no power over, and…"

What am I saying, I'm giving too much away.

' **I agree, but I fear they would catch a lie if we tried to without things too much.'** Cinder hums in my ear. **'Perhaps we can use this.'**

Explain please.

' **Go the honest route, not just in your words, but your aura. The young ruler just starting out.'**

How is that a plan if that's exactly what I am?

I can feel Cinder rolling her eyes within mine. **'Wear your heart on your sleeve. I can practically feel the parental motivations off of these two. Play into it. Speak your troubles and make them feel sympathy for the poor little girl. Not too much of course, we still need to make them think we're trying to uphold a position of power.'**

I only manage to suppress the grimace that threatens to take over through sheer will.

Manipulation. That's what you're suggesting. I don't like it.

' **All politics is manipulation. You know this. No sense in feeling guilty about how the world works.'**

…fine, but I'm not being as… twisted as you make it sound.

Cinder just hums.

And suddenly I'm back in the conversation, and I realise they're waiting for me to continue. I've trailed off, probably looking as uncertain as Cinder wants me to.

' **What** _ **you**_ **want.'**

I take a breath.

"And… if I'm honest, the power I hold within my own court is… not what I'd like. This… whole expedition was actually in a secret hope of mine that you _were_ real. That you could help me stabilise my rule. You have no idea how much of a relief it is to see all of you just existing."

"And why did you have this hope?" the Chieftain asks "Apologise, but it sounds like you're in trouble."

I genuinely laugh at that.

And try to ignore how bitter it sounds to my own ears. "Trouble? That's one way of putting it. "Chieftain sir-"

"Ghira." He interjects. "Call me by my name as you would my wife."

"...Ghira," I agree, continuing. "Do you know how old I am?"

He blinks in confusion for a moment, before humouring my question. "I can't be sure. Humans may age differently to Faunus. I would say, fourteen, fifteen?"

"Seventeen." I correct, my lips tugging up at little at how surprised he looks. "I've noticed how tall you all are, and I'd say I'm pretty average when it comes to might height-"

' **Though we certainly see how that changes with Rose.'**

"At Seventeen, I've been ruling for a grand total of _one_ month, no, actually, less than that. I think it's clear to tell from that little tidbit that I have almost no experience in ruling."

The couple share a glance, and the Chieftain shakes his head. "No one does your majesty, no one at first. Everyone starts somewhere; I certainly did, to me at least, you seem to be doing at least a fair job at seeming experienced. And you're willing to listen. As far as I can tell, those are all good qualities."

I stare at him.

Okay, definitely a far more positive outlook than I had been expecting. This is… different. Right, well, not the time to ponder that, I need to get my point across."

"Be that as it may, not everyone agrees." I look at him levelly. "Your words are kind, and if you really believe that then I'm thankful, but many of the nobility don't like dealing with those sorts of risks."

"Are they not meant to serve under you?"

"In an ideal world, they are, but there's nothing idea about my situation. I'm inexperienced, I already said that, and a lot of them agree that they could do a better job… and think the best way to put themselves in charge is by removing me."

Kali frowns. "Removing you? You're… not suggesting what I think you are, are you?"

"Depends," I say, dipping my head. "Is murder a common thing in your society?"

 _Crack._

My eyes flicker to the sharp sound emanating from Kali's hands, a think, jagged line sounds up the side of her cup.

"Ah," she blinks, as if surprised with herself, her eyes slightly wide. "I think I might have misunderstood my dear. For a moment it sounds like you're suggesting they would try and kill you."

"Tried," I correct. "They haven't been successful obviously, but not for lack of trying… before I even arrived in the capital, an attempt was made on my life… good men died that day, and I still don't know who it was that ordered it."

"You're telling us that men and women would order the death of a young girl?"

"Anything for power." I sigh. "It was… more hectic at the beginning than it is now, peace of mind isn't something I have just yet, but, like I said, I was hoping that a meeting with the Faunus, with you, would give me more leeway."

The chieftain brought a hand to his chin. "You want to use us."

"Ghira!" his wife chided harshly, shooting a look his way, I shake my head. "No, he's right. It's not as cold and calculating as that I promise but… well, the nobility _are_ , and in a way, that makes them easier to… not control them, but have some sort of way to work with them. They want power, they want order for themselves and while some excitement is a good way for them to gain that, they can't have it getting too chaotic else it could cause problems for them. If I were powerful enough, then deposing me would cause that exact kind of chaos." I look the Chieftain, Ghira, in the eyes. "I want to use you, yes, that's true, but I don't want to do it in a way that hurts you. I need you to help me willingly, and if you do, I'll do what I can to help you in return."

"Interesting words," he hums, leaning back in his sitting position and taking a breath. "But while yours are promising, they also make my fearful in some respect. It sounds like there is a lot that we are unaware of… outside of our own lands."

"Ah," I wince. "That was… one of the other things I wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?"

"You're calling these Jungles your lands but… in truth, these belong to both The Vale and the Kingdom of the Sands in equal measure, saying you own them could… cause problems."

He frowns at me. "We _do_ own them. These lands have belonged to us for as long as our people can remember. They belong to us."

"Will respect Chieftain, but did you announce that to the other Kingdoms? From what I can tell, you don't seem to know much about them in the first place."

There's a pause, and he crosses his arms thoughtfully. "That… is true. We have been isolated from humans, by choice, yes, but I am aware it has cause difficulties for us." He sighs." So what does this mean for my people? Because we are not keen on allowing ourselves to be subjugated by those we don't know."

I close my eyes. "For the moment, nothing. Apart from myself, Lord Oobleck and whoever meets with him when he returns, the Faunus are an unknown. It gives us some time at least, to figure things out… what that will entail, I'm not sure."

For now, Nothing." Kali says. "The politics can wait for a moment longer, I can say that I'm interested in the differences in these Kingdoms you've mentioned. Could you go into more detail on them?"

"Oh, yes, of course." I nod. "Beg your pardon though, but the knowledge you have already, like our language… we speak more than a few, where did you learn Valean may I ask?"

"From our daughter," she smiles. "Blake, that's her name, has always had a supreme interest in humans, everything she could learn she did, and in turn, we did the same. She always said it would be incredibly useful to learn as much as we could. It seems she was right."

"So she's had an influence on all of you. I've noticed more than a few others able to speak Valean. That's impressive I have to say."

"Blake has always been a bright one," Ghira nods proudly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Her dream has always been to meet with humans, to learn all that she can from them. I'd be grateful your majesty if you could help with that."

"Of course." I nod. "It doesn't sound like it would be too much trouble."

"It would be nice," Kali smiles knowingly, leaning forward on the table slightly. "I believe also, that the two of you have already been acquainted with her."

Ah right, last night.

"Yes," she says, watching me. "We're well aware of her midnight venture. When she came home we caught her."

She laughs, as if finding fun in chatting about her child's antics. "It was actually her endorsement that convinced us to listen to you."

"Really?" I perk up. "Well that's… good of her."

"It was." Ghira agrees. "We would have listened to you either way, but giving you the chance to explain yourselves without doubt was because she assured us you wouldn't be a threatening individual."

"Well then," I say. "I'll have to thank her. Is she here?"

"Not at the moment, he chuckles. "Blake is always one to slip away. She'll likely be home later tonight. That gives us plenty of time to talk however."

I pause, taking another sip of tea, it's gone a little cold now, but it's still fine, and the little pot on the table promise more later. "I suppose we should begin then, shouldn't we?"

"Yes, lets your majesty."

* * *

…

…

* * *

Red sky.

Again.

I don't know why it's always the first thing I notice. Maybe because it's… so otherworldly.

It's as if some made god decided to dye it all with blood.

Everything else comes secondary, the dead lands, the ruined buildings and gnarled trees. It's no less striking than it had been the first time, but here, now, I see something more.

I've seen corpses already, plenty of them, massacred, bloody and twisted in horror and agony.

But not like this.

Faunus

A hundred of them, maybe more, strewn across the ground chaotically.

But… each and every one of them was armed.

"What is this?" I whisper, a hope that someone will answer me.

These people, all of them, every single one of them Faunus and all of them look like they'd died in combat. Claw marks, gaping holes and soaked in blood.

They'd fought the Grimm.

Or tried.

It hadn't been successful, that much was clear, but the fact that they'd even tried was…

I stop, blinking as a rattling sound meets my ears.

Breathing.

Someone's alive here!

I run, sprinting towards the sound just over a mound of rubble that blocks it from my sight.

Someone's actually alive in all of this!

They won't be able to tell me anything, but if I know who they are then maybe I can find them before all of this begin-

My feet scrape across the earth as I stop, right on the ridge, and I take it in.

"Ah." I breathe. "Of course, what did I expect?"

It's Rose, right in the centre of a circle of bodies., on her knees. She's alone, the only one alive.

But it's not her that takes my attention. No the way her shoulder are hunched, no the look of anguish on her face, or even the dead look in her eyes that dulls the silver so much I might have mistaken her for a corpse herself.

It's the body before her, the one resting on her knees as she strokes their hair sorrowfully.

A woman with dark hair, and now dull, golden eyes.

"Blake?" I whisper.

It was. It was Blake.

Rose was leaning over her, silent for all of bit an occasional whimper that escaped her.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry."

I… I don't know what to do. This is something I haven't seen in Rose, this face, this weakness.

Why is it such a surprise? She's me.

And it hurts. It hurts to look at.

Blake… just look so _still._

Why was she here? Why were any of these Faunus here?

What am I asking? I already know the answer to that.

I'd been successful to some extent, in recruiting the Faunus, enough at least to have a semi-sizable force.

And it hadn't been enough.

I feel my lips stretch into a sneer uncontrollably.

All these people are dead. They're dead, and the work I'd done had been useless. All it had done is move the location of their graves.

Another failure… of course.

And Rose hasn't stopped _sobbing._

"I'm sorry Blake. I couldn't do anything to save you. I'm so sorry."

I swallow, taking the final step towards her kneeling.

"Talk to me." I plead. "Explain to me what's going on. Say something, anything!"

"I'm sorry."

I grit my teeth. She's ignoring me. No, no she's not bothering to notice me, however this works on her head she's acting as if I'm not here. She's lost in her own little world.

This is pointless.

I don't want to see this. What is this even supposed to be?

A vision where I see myself break over a friend?

To see a version of myself break down with grief? I don't want this, I don't what to see how easy it is for me to break with this monstrosity coming. If Rose can't give me anything then… then…

Then what about other visions. Will she be able to help me at all in the future.

"Come on!" I hiss. "If you tell me what to do, how to change this then I _can_. Blake won't die if I know how to keep going!"

I know Rose can't hear me, which is why when her head snaps up, her eyes wild and wide, it makes me jump in shock.

"Power!" she whisperers, is a voice hushed and raving. As if she'd had all the worlds secrets revealed to her. "I need power. You- you need more of it. The Temple, the city! Go there, soon! I got in, but I never found anything. But I learned. I learned what I needed to do. It was too late. Far too late. The ruins were long buried so that I couldn't return. I must take the power within before that happens. The seal. Open the seal. Travel deep to the orb. Open it. Speak the name. Speak _her nam- argh!_ "

Rose's word cut off with an agonised gasp, one hand coming up to grip her head,

Something fizzles in my ears.

"The block." She murmurs. "The block is there. Whatever it is. It's trying to stop me. It can't. I won't let it. You know what I'm talking about. More than me, you know. You have to. You haven't been warped yet. I know this. Don't let it happen. Get into the temple and get the power we need to fend this off for longer."

The temple. The Spire. She's talking about the spire in the middle of the ruined city.

But… gone? How could it be gone in her time?

Unless something attacked it.

Did… did the Grimm target it? Does that mean- does that mean that they knew it was a threat to them?

A cacophony of sound, a racket that screeched at my bones.

A growl escapes my throat. They're coming already. gods damn it. Why did it have to such short a time? I need more than this!

Rose of course can't see my distrust, nor hear the sounds I make. To her. She's alone, and the sigh she lets out no doubt fills her silence.

"An end for me then. Good." Her eyes glaze over for a moment, and she looks down at Blakes form. "Not too long now."

And then she leans down.

And I freeze.

Not a friend.

No. More than that clearly. If I'm not blind.

If I don't miss the way Rose's lips press softly against the Faunus' in a way I nearly can't comprehend.

But I can. And it makes it all the worse.

Rose's lips linger for moments longer, until the snapping and snarling is too close to ignore. She lets out a breath as her lips part with the dead woman's, and she lets her body down softly, hand trailing over her face to close her eyes one last time.

She stands, dragging herself up with the pole of her scythe and raises it over her shoulder. The blade gleams red in the light the sky has tinted.

And the black ocean meats her.

I watch. I watch it all, every movement she makes, very attack, every strike, every dodge and evasion. I take it all in. this was what I took for but a single moment. Again, I need it again. So I watch, and will for her knowledge to pass onto me.

Perhaps it works.

Perhaps it doesn't.

Either way, it ends the same.

Rose stands against the sea of Black alone, and falls, alone, as it consumes her in its endless numbers.

And then there's is me.

To be swallowed by it the instant after.

* * *

…

…

* * *

Sunlight tinted green instead of red is what greets me when I wake.

I don't shoot out of bed. None of my visions have elicited that kind of response from me. They aren't nightmares, they're something different, and my body and mind have… learned the difference somehow. What does escape me isn't control of my body, but a single, long, rattling breath.

That was bad.

That was worse than any I'd been through before.

I open my eyes to a warm, wooden ceiling, and rays of sunlight streaming in. I raise myself up, and look around to the source of the humid breeze coming from the window of the spare room I'd been offered by the Chieftain and his wife the night before. No window, just an open square and curtains that are either made of leaves, or are a realistic pattern of some sort. I don't mind it, it's warm enough in the Jungle not to matter.

The rest of the room is sparse, a clear sign that they haven't exactly used this room for anything.

The bed is comfy at least, a small mercy after waking up from something like that…

Speaking of which…

Cinder?

'…'

I wince. She says nothing, but I can _feel_ her silence. It's purposeful, and the sensations that spread across my body are more than noticeable.

Despite my own knowledge that they aren't my immediate emotions, my face twits into a snarl, and I fight the urge to grind my teeth together hard enough to crack them.

Cinder is angry.

 _Very, very, angry._

Cinder, stop it.

' _ **Don't tell me to stop after what we just saw!'**_ Her voice rattles inside my head, threatening to give me a splitting headache. Good. For once I hope it does. The pain might help me focus. **'That was more than just a warning for the future, much more!'**

" _I know_ ,"I hiss aloud, uncaring that others may hear somehow thanks to the throbbing in my skull. "But hurting _ourselves_ over it does nothing. Getting angry now will just make us look bad in front of the Faunus. We can't have that."

' **Unquestionably we can't,'** She growls, quieter now, but no less guttural. **"Do you know what I saw there? Loyalty. An interesting thing don't you think? That it was Faunus at our side instead of humans.'**

"That could be for any number of reasons. We already know that Faunus are just more capable in body. It could be that they were the only ones to survive alongside Rose, us."

' **Do you truly believe that?'**

"Do _you_ believe that Yang and Weiss would abandon us? Is that what you're suggesting?"

'… **no.'** She admits begrudgingly. **'They… would not.'**

I sigh, the weariness of the visions feeling as if it's weighing me down and decide to lay back on the bed again. Gathering my thoughts might be one way to see it… another would be trying to deal with the fact that apparently Blake and I somehow got into a…

I shake my head.

No.

No I don't even want to think about it right now. I barely know her; I certainly don't want to think about how Rose had been affected by her death like that.

I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

But… what can I do about it right now?

The answer?

Nothing.

' **There is something. Rose as good as said that whatever's underneath that city is essential for our survival. We have something we need.'**

It was something we'd wanted from the beginning, now, it was just a fact that it wasn't an option to ignore it. We _can't_ leave until they allow us in there.

' **From Rose's words, they did.'**

True, but that still depends on our actions. Nothings assured, and even though they let us in, it turned out a failure for her- us- me.

' **Then perhaps we should get to work then.'**

…fine.

Reluctantly, I drag myself up out of bed. I obviously didn't have a change of clothes, but I'd at least had the foreknowledge last night not to wear them in bed, so they weren't horrid to smelling or filthy yet. All the same, I know it's probably not a great idea to wear my riding breeches another day in a row.

It seems that's already been thought out though, because at the foot of my bed is a red tunic and dark pants. Big for me, likely someone else's, perhaps Blake or Kali's, but it would fit without too much of a bother. Plain, but I was used to that. I know that eventually I'll probably be used to fancy, horribly impractical silk clothes as I've seen most nobility wear, but not quite yet.

I dread the day that does happen.

' **If it happens.'**

I sigh.

Fitting into it doesn't take long, throwing the tunic over my corset and fastening my cloak atop of it. It might be slightly hotter, but I feel it's only right to still represent my emblem, and by the time I do, I'm at least slightly more awake.

Something catches my eyes though. Something strange.

Is that… yeah, it is. My fingers drift across my back, over my shoulder. The arrow wound.

It's back.

I… how? I thought The Beacons flames had healed it.

Just another thing I don't understand, but, at least this one doesn't seem serious. There's barely more than a tiny white line at the front, and though I can't see it, the back of my shoulder only feels a little damaged. Maybe a dull jagged line where they're used to be an opening, but nothing more.

I wonder if it had something to do with the ruins…

I guess I'll have to find out. For now though, it'll be covered fine.

I can't really tell what time it is. The sun may be hot, but it's masked by a rolling jungle mist that blocks it from my sight for now.

Whatever, I'll find out eventually anyway, for now, it's probably a good idea to see my hosts.

Leaving my room brings me to a hallway leading directly to the living room from last night, and gives me a clear view to what is essentially their kitchen, or at least wherever they keep their food. Nothings cooking just yet judging by the smell, but all the same I can see them, and they spot me equally at the same moment.

"Your majesty." The Chieftain nods. "A trust you had a good sleep?"

"I did," I say, nodding. "Thank you."

"That's good." He says. "My wife and I will be busy for much of the morning and afternoon dealing with issues here, forgive me, but your appearance caused quite a stir, and still does. We'll be working to deal with that."

"I understand. May I ask if that includes the raids?"

"It does." Ghira nods, frowning for a split second before his features settle again. I can understand why. From how he'd acted last night, it really did sound like he hadn't been aware of the actions suspected of his fellow Faunus, which is comforting in some aspects, though unsettling in others.

If he was telling the truth, it means he's had no intentions to cause conflict between Humans and Faunus, which is undoubtedly a good thing…

But it also means he isn't aware of people acting right under his nose.

It's a start though, to something at least.

"We can worry about that later," Kali dismisses. "It's still early. Would you like something to drink dear? Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee?" I blink. "What's that?"

The look of absolute horror on Kali's face is enough that I almost take a step back, not even considering that I'm fairly sure it's from my words. Her jaw literally drops, and she's about to say something before a door opens and shuts behind me.

"Mom," a voice comes, one I recognise. "Are you going to tell me when everybody's going down to the riv…er."

It trails off, and I turn around to face her.

Blake's eyes are staring at me wide-eyed.

Extremely wide-eyed, like a deer in torchlights, as her tail straightens out like a rod.

"U-um."

It's her. Blake. Blake's right in front of me. She looks like she's just woken off, hair a mess, wild and dishevelled like the clothes she's wearing, like she'd just thrown them on without much thought. Very much alive and breathing, and her eyes full of life.

The difference is so incredible it steals the air from my lungs. So all I can really think of doing is waving.

"Blake!" Kali smiles. "Good to see you're up so early. This is a surprise do you have something planned?"

She doesn't get an answer in the form of words, but a whooshing sound as she speeds back out of the room in a blur, and the door of what I assume is her room slams shut again.

All I can do is stare at the spot she'd been standing.

Behind me, the chieftain chuckles. "Well that's certainly a very Blake response isn't it?"

"Um," I cough. "Did I do something that I'm not aware of?"

They share a look I can't place, before he smiles at me. "Don't worry too much about it. She's just… well it's not something you should worry about."

' **Yes you should. this is the perfect chance for us.'**

You say that as if I want to. After what I just saw do you think I want to get into a proper conversation with her?

' _ **Yes!**_ **I know exactly what you want to do.'**

I force back the urge to scowl in front of my hosts.

…Fine.

' **And you caved in** _ **comically**_ **fast**. **Hm, I wonder why?'**

Cinder? Shut up.

"Perhaps I should go speak with her." I say aloud. "Is that alright? Do I have your permission to try and make her comfortable with me?"

"You don't need our _permission_ dear." Kali giggles. "Our daughters an adult. She can handle herself despite her impression just now. you can speak to anyone here if you wish, though if you go out, I would suggest having someone with you?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Is there any reason for that?"

"Not as in a bad way, don't worry. I wouldn't be thoughtful if I let you get lost however."

Right, yes, that makes sense, far less cynical than I'd thought of.

"Well then," I nod. "I'll get on that then."

I bow my head and make my way to follow in the direction their daughter had left.

It's not exactly hard to locate her room and knock on it.

It gives me pauses however, when I hear a massive crash from the other side.

"J-just a moment!"

I do, and I can hear a series of other crashes, and the sound of something being pushed to the side across the floor before the door opens.

"H-Hi!" Blake greets, slightly louder than is comfortable. "I mean, hello. Hello, greetings, how are you!?"

"I'm… good?" I say, raising my eyebrow and smiling despite myself. She's straightened her hair and clothes in the time it took me to get hear. She must have been frantic. "May I come in?"

"Yes! Yes, Of- of course! Of course, come in." she nods rapidly, stepping to the side and gesturing me to pass her, I do so, and in turn get a good look at her room.

Honestly? I'd expected it to be bad the way she's acting.

But it looks pretty normal.

A large bed right in the middle, dressers that look like they're carved straight from the bark and give a wonderful rustic feel of it all, and an assortment of trinkets decorating a wardrobe or something in the corner of the room.

Oh, and a _massive_ bookshelf literally carved out of the wall, talking up the entire surface and nearly spilling out.

Blake suddenly coughs, though from the way she's shifting from one foot to the other I'm not sure it was to get my attention.

"Well," I say. "I think it's nice to officially meet you Blake, you know, without things like bars and restraints in the way."

"Yes I agree! I think so too your majesty."

I must have winced visibly because Blake suddenly looks worried. "Did I- did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no it's nothing I just… could you do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Could you call me Ruby?"

"R-" Blake swallows, clearly surprised. "Really?"

"Yes," I nod. "I'm sure it's strange for you to call me 'your majesty' all the time, I can promise you it's even more so for me."

"Right. Right yes, alright. I'll… I'll call you Ruby then."

"Good." I smile. "Are you fine with me calling you Blake though? Is there something you would rather I call you instead? Just so I'm not insulting you somehow."

"Oh, no," she shakes her head. "Blake is perfectly fine, as long as I- well, it's good to know I won't be insulting you by mistaking your title."

I laugh in spite of myself. "You won't insult me by mistaking my title Blake. I'm not used to it at all. I'm more used to a casual sort of conversation I promise."

"Well… that's good to know."

We fall into a silence bordering of awkward for a moment, as neither of us continues the conversation.

' _ **Talk. Now.'**_

"So," I say, following Cinder's order. "It definitely looks like you enjoy reading."

And just like that I have to suppress the urge to punch myself in the face.

Good job Ruby, you're the smoothest girl around, not at all like an uncultured barbarian with your words. Not at all!

By some miracle, the Faunus doesn't seem to notice my clumsy phrasing and nods, turning to look at her bookshelf.

No, wait, not just look at it. She's staring at it nervously, and her cheeks have gone pretty red.

' **Embarrassed by something is she?'**

"It's been a lot of work," she tells me. "I've been, well, collecting anything I can from carriages that pass through here, or, caravans I mean, plenty of merchandise gets lost in transit, especially in the Jungle. So, yes, yes I've got a lot."

"Anything interesting?"

"It's all interesting." She claims proudly, before backtracking suddenly. "Well, to me at least. I'm not sure if, well I have a very broad taste. I…" she flushes.

My head tilts slightly. "Is something wrong."

She shakes her head. "No. it's just that… well, I… I didn't know you were the Queen when we first met. That you were a Rose."

"Does it mean something? The Rose part I mean?"

"Of course! I… I mean I… have a lot of book about the Rose family here too, I've read so much about your history."

My history… she means the Rose bloodline, their monarchy. Well, isn't that funny? She probably knows more about my own family than I do.

"Sounds interesting," I hum, taking a step over to the bookcase to read the titles on the spines. "Anything you prefer?"

"M-myself? Oh! Yes, there is; the Re-joining for one, in the Rouge Era."

"I'm not familiar with that Era," I admit, taking the book with the name she'd mentioned. A highly stylized title on the front cover, swirling Valean writing encrusted in gold on a red leather cover. It looked… not new, but not quite old either. A republication to be sure. Still, a rare book. Where had she gotten this I wonder. "Could you remind me what it was about? Who was ruling back then?"

"Well, it was during the reunification." Blake says, sounding almost excited to talk about it, explain it even. "When the Queen at the time; Saffron Rose reformed the Kingdoms into one."

"Really?" I look up. "There was a time when the four Kingdoms were one again?"

"Six actually." She nods, "but yes. It was the third time actually. It had broken twice beforehand. Apparently, Queen Saffron and her warrior sister; Xanthous, imposed a military sort of rule to hold their powers. My favourite part is the Crusade of the Crucible."

"Crucible?"

"Ah?" she blinks. "Is… that not the right pronunciation of it? It's the uh, the continent to the west, the one that looks like a dragon."

That's what it's called?

I'd never heard that name.

' **It makes sense though doesn't it. I can hardly image people were as uninventive to just call it 'The Dragon Continent' like we're always hearing.'**

Still, you'd think the name of a Kingdom would be written in history books somewhere. Or, I guess it is, but for me to have never even heard of it… it wasn't public knowledge to be sure. Where did she _get_ this book?

"I see. It definitely sounds like something I should read about. Maybe I'll go over it later, if you won't mind me borrowing this of course."

"Oh! Oh of course you can." She nods. "Feel free your- Ruby."

"Thank you," I respond, before glancing around. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you have… planned?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I smile sheepishly. "Your parents have informed me that they will be busy dealing with issues at the moment and honestly I'd prefer _not_ to be involved in that sort of thing… what is it you do all day if I may ask?"

"It's nothing really," she coughs, turning away in embarrassment. "Usually it's just… what others want to do."

"IS that what happened last night? I didn't see you return home. The Chieftain and I stayed up most of the night discussing things so…"

"Yes I was out with my… well, friends."

I raise an eyebrow. "You sound embarrassed by that."

"Oh, no it's, nothing." She dismisses quickly. "I just had a horrible thought."

I nod, not really understanding what she means. It's strange, she's acting a lot different to the way she had before… she doesn't seem very comfortable with my presence.

It's not hard to tell honestly. She's having trouble meeting my eye, she's bouncing from one foot to the other, fidgeting, and her dark tail is swaying from side to side so much it threatens to make me dizzy if I stare at it.

' **Isn't that obvious why?'** Cinder yawns. **'If you haven't noticed, you're a Queen.'**

Yes I know that, and?

' **You may have forgotten being surrounded by Lords, Ladies and other people, Yang and Weiss notwithstanding, but most people don't ever get a chance to interact with** _ **royalty**_ **. Especially when we're in their eyes; a mysterious foreign Queen'**

Ah. That…

That makes sense.

Not a great kind though.

So she's basically afraid of me?

' **You're making her nervous, eager to impress. There's a difference.'**

And what difference is that?

' **You tell me.'**

I shake my head. Either way it doesn't matter. If I'm going to have any chance of having a proper conversation with her it needs to be without that nerve. I'm not exactly sure how to change that, but talking can't hurt can it?

"Blake I-"

"Woah so this is the Queen!"

Both of us jump as the new voice intrudes on our conversation, and my eyes flicker to the sources as Blake wheels round to the open window.

Is… is that person hanging upside how by… their tail?

"Sun!" the Faunus woman cries out as she rushes towards the window. "What are you doing here?!"

"Uh, to see you." The Faunus boy replies as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I take a step closer, and take a peek out of the window.

Seriously though was he really holding himself on a branch by his _tail?_ How is it holding his entire weight?

And wow, he's really blond, like, as blond as my sister.

' **I'm more interested in those abs.'**

Cinder no.

' **I mean do you see those things? They look like they could chisel diamond.'**

Oh my gods what is wrong with you!?

Sun turns to me before I can answer. "So you're the Queen? That right?"

"Uh, yes," I say, surprised a little about how casual he sounds in comparison to… well, everyone else here. "Hello."

"Hey." He grins, waving his hand. "Nice to meetya'."

"You too." I nod. "So is there a uh, reason as to why you're hanging like that?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Well you're upside down. Aren't you getting dizzy?"

He hums, tilting his head as if in thought. "Nah, not really." All the same he twists around, spinning mid-air and landing feet first onto the window ledge, his bare feet petering lightly as if he did this every day.

Though, judging from Blakes' expression, it was probably closer to the truth.

"Sun," she growls, sounding like she'd rather be anywhere else. " _What. Are. You. Doing. Here."_

"I… already said." He frowns, tilting his head. "I came for you. The others are waiting for us down at the falls. Remember?"

"O-oh." Blake stiffens. "I… I forgot about that."

"Yikes," he laughs. "Well when we get there you can apologize to Ilia and Adam before they start sulking about it."

"Sun…"

"What?"

She sighs irritably and the action makes me laugh.

The Faunus boy clearly sees it as an endorsement from me.

"So what about you? You wanna come with?"

I blink. "What?"

"Come with us," he grins. "We're all meeting up, the gang, Blake and Me's friends, at the Falls, it's a great place to relax, yeah? Good shade, some sands by the banks and a great place to take a dip."

"Don't be ridiculous Sun," Blake grumbles. "There's no way the Queen would want to mess around with us-"

' **Sounds like it could be interesting.'**

"Sure!"

"R-really?"

"Sure," I say, grinning at the blond Faunus before turning to Blake. "I might need some directions, but it sounds like fun. Better than doing nothing that's for sure. I guess I'll be in your care."

"Awesome!" Sun laughs answered before Blake can. "Come on," he stops." Wait, yeah we'll need to go a different way though. Can you climb Queen?"

"Ruby," I respond. "And I can, but I doubt anywhere close to as well as you can. I don't know how you got up this high, I'm not as confident getting down."

"No problem, I can totally carry you!"

"Wait what do you _meeeeean_!?"

"Sun!" Blake cries out as he hoists me out of the window and throws me over his shoulder as he clambers down the face of the tree. "Don't you dare kidnap the Queen!"

She leaps out in pursuit of us.

' **Well this is going to be fun. You might want to hold on.'**

I fight the urge to scream.

* * *

…

…

* * *

 **Welp, Ruby's got her hands full at the minute by the sounds of it, hopefully Sun doesn't drop her, it would probably be a painful landing.**

 **Anyway, we've got a proper meeting with the Belladonna now, thank goodness for that, Ruby finally has a chance to sort things out.**

 **Hopefully anyway, thinks aren't looking all too good in the future for her.**

 **Then again, when have they ever.**

 **And we're about to get introduced to some proper characters now, joy! Hopefully you'll like them, I'm not sure what the reception to Blake will be just yet, but this is where something things start changing.**

 **We'll get plenty of tome with he Faunus all the same.**

 **So what do you think? You liking the Faunus so far? Something specific maybe? Or are you worried something bad is going to happen with them that we haven't seen yet?**

 **Guess We'll all find out together.**

 **I've got lot of stuff to do with he next few chapters, but when the next one comes out, we should at least start getting into the meat of things.**

 **It's about to get crazy.**

 **And now, my little parting question for you all to answer if you feel like it, a bit of a more straight forward one this time, about the villains int eh real show:**

 **Out of them all, alive or dead, which one of them would you want to 'Redeem' themselves and join the good guys? And Why? I'm wondering if there's a difference between liking a bad guy and wanting him to be good, or live for that matter. Or if you want them to just have a happy ending, let me know that instead.**


End file.
